Phenylephrine in eardrops causing contact dermatitis.

Phenylephrine hydrochloride is a sympathomimetic drug commonly used in opthalmology and otorhinolaryngology. A 50 year-old man with chronic otitis developed an acute vesicular dermatitis of the external auditory canal. Contact dermatitis of the ear canal is a common complication of the topical treatment of the otitis externa. Topical antibiotics and local anaesthetics are the most common sensitizers in otological preparations. Phenylephrine is an epinephrine analogue frequently used in opthalmic and otologic preparations for its mydriatic and vasoconstructive properties.