For those of you into herbal/ natural remedies, check out the article below, which reports someone who developed a bad blistering reaction called AGEP, after ingesting a herbal oil. As dermatologists we see hundreds of patients every year with bad skin reactions, after using various herbal/ natural products. The point is that just because something is natural/ herbal, it doesn’t mean it is good for your skin. There are a number of toxic chemicals in plants too. Unless a product is scientifically tested, it is best not to experiment. Your body is too precious to play around.

Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis induced by the essential oil of Pistacia lentiscus

Summary

Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP) is an uncommon pustular eruption characterized by small nonfollicular pustules on an erythematous background, sometimes associated with fever and neutrophilia. Over 90% of cases are drug-induced; however, it can be caused in rare cases by other agents. We report two cases of AGEP secondary to ingestion of Pistacia lentiscus essential oil, the first two such cases to our knowledge. The cutaneous morphology, disease course and histological findings were consistent with a definite diagnosis of AGEP, based on the criteria of the EuroSCAR study group. These two cases highlight the need to consider herbal extracts as a potential rare cause of AGEP and to ensure the safety of herbal medicines.

Article first published online: 14 MAY 2012

DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2230.2011.04232.x

© The Author(s). CED © 2012 British Association of Dermatologists

Issue

Clinical and Experimental Dermatology

Volume 37, Issue 4, pages 361–363, June 2012