BACKGROUND:

The prevalence of allergy to cocamidopropyl betaine (CAPB) in North America has not been previously reported.

OBJECTIVE:

The aim of this study was to report on the most recent data on allergy to CAPB and a related allergen, amidoamine (AA).

METHODS:

Data was collected by the North American Contact Dermatitis Group from consecutive patients presenting for patch testing for diagnosis of presumed allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) from January 1, 2001, through December 31, 2001.

RESULTS:

Of 975 patients tested, 15 were patch-test positive to CAPB, 25 had positive reactions to AA, and 18 had positive reactions to both CAPB and AA. The most frequent site of dermatitis from CAPB was the head and neck region.

CONCLUSION:

In North America, both CAPB and AA are useful allergens for detecting ACD.