THE USE OF BAL IN THE TREATMENT OF SKIN REACTIONS DUE TO GOLD THERAPY

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Abstract
Two patients with severe exfoliative dermatitis due to gold salts were successfully treated with BAL. It was necessary to treat these patients over a period of 8 and 12 weeks, respectively, because of a recurrence of the dermatitis, when BAL therapy was stopped. This experience is not in agreement with previous reports which indicated that a few days'' treatment is adequate. Recurrence of the original type of dermatitis is an indication for the resumption of treatment or for the readjustment of the individual dose or the interval between injns. of BAL. One of the patients developed a toxic reaction to BAL and the other developed skin sensitivity to BAL, demonstrating that this drug should not be used for minor toxic reactions since it is not innocuous. A toxic reaction sufficiently severe to warrant use of BAL should be a contraindication to further gold therapy.