We describe a case of contact stomatitis due to a surgical pack.
A 61-year-old woman had the upper right first premolar extracted by a local dentist on January 22, 1999. Thereafter, she had pain associated with gingival recession at the upper right canine. For treatment, surgical packs were applied to the upper right canine region on February 17. From February 20, swelling developed in the right upper lip and cheek and reddening and pain developed at the right margin of the tongue. The patient was referred to our department on February 23. The swelling was edematous, and blood examination found no signs of inflammation. Interview of the patient suggested an allergic reaction to the surgical pack. We therefore referred the patient to the department of dermatology to undergo patch testing. There were no abnormalities with the powder and control, but reddening was noted 48 hours after the liquid had been applied to the skin of the back (evaluated as +), and blisters were seen after 72 hours (evaluated as+3). These findings resulted in a diagnosis of contat stomatitis caused by the surgical pack liquid.