WE HAVE continued our studies on the mechanism of adhesive plaster dermatitis since our communication in 1948 on this subject.1 We believe that the data which we are about to present, as well as the work of others which has appeared since that time, have added a great deal to our understanding of the factors involved in the dermatitis produced by adhesive tape.
Certain conclusions were drawn in our previous publication based on the data at hand at that time. Three types of adhesive tape irritation were described: (1) a relatively unimportant fleeting reaction which was mainly dependent on the tackiness of the adhesive mass (this reaction was believed to be due mainly to the mechanical trauma of removing the tape and could be decreased to a certain extent by the use of adhesive remover); (2) a reaction of sensitivity based on specific allergy to one or more of