Dermatitis due to nail lacquer is being reported in the literature with increasing frequency. In our experience it is not a rarity but a common occurrence, especially during the past three years. Our first case was observed in 1926, and to date we have observed well over 100 examples of this condition. Because of its increased frequency and the relation to dermatitis caused by other widely used objects which are covered with lacquer, it is felt that an account of our experiences should be of value in tracing the obscure cause of this dermatitis.
In 1925 Miller and Taussig1 reported the case of a patient with dermatitis of the neck due to nail polish. In 1937 Sulzberger2 recorded a case of dermatitis of the eyelids, the chin, the face and the skin around the finger nails, in which a patch test with nail lacquer elicited a positive reaction.