To the Editor: We draw readers' attention to propolis as a rising cause of allergic contact dermatitis, the diagnosis of which may be missed because of atypical presentations exemplified in 2 cases below. The first patient was a 28-year-old white woman with a 4-month history of a recurrent itchy rash of the eyelids presenting as ill-defined erythematous patches without scale. Previous TRUE test was interpreted as allergy to parabens, but her eruption continued despite avoidance of paraben-containing products. Patch testing to the NACDG 80 series and to her personal skin care products showed positive reactions to neomycin, nickel, and propolis. Daily application of beeswax-containing lip gloss using her fingers implicated propolis in beeswax as the relevant allergen.
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