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DELAYED HYPERSENSITIVITY REACTION TO SUBCUTANEOUS HEPARIN
Author(s) -
Rivers Jason K.,
Gianoutsos Mark P.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.111
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1445-2197
pISSN - 0004-8682
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-2197.1991.tb00176.x
Subject(s) - medicine , heparin , subcutaneous injection , hypersensitivity reaction , glycosaminoglycan , skin reaction , dermatology , surgery , immunology , anatomy
Two women developed well‐demarcated eczematous and erythematous plaques localized to the injection sites of subcutaneous preservative‐free heparin 72–96h after heparin administration. The plaques resolved within a week of discontinuing the therapy. Neither epicutaneous testing with preservative‐free heparin nor in vitro proliferation assays to heparin and two low molecular weight glycosaminoglycans could elicit a response in either patient. In contrast, both patients developed localized eczematous plaques 48–96 h after re‐challenge with intradermal and/or subcutaneous heparin. Delayed hypersensitivity reactions to subcutaneous heparin are uncommon and have not been reported in the Australasian medical literature. Given the frequency with which heparin preparations are used, it is important for physicians and surgeons to be aware of this potential adverse reaction.