Occupational contact allergy to the epoxy methacrylate 2,2-bis[4-(2-methacryloxyethoxy)phenyl] propane in an anaerobic glue.

2,2-Bis[4-(2-methacryloxyethoxy)phenyl] propane (bisEMA; CAS 24448-20-2) is an epoxy methacrylate that was developed as a substitute for another epoxy methacrylate, 2,2-bis[4-(2-hydroxy-3-methacryloxypropoxy) phenyl]propane (bis-GMA; CAS 1565-94-2), used in dental composite resins. In the 2012 Finnish Product Register of Chemicals, bis-EMA appears in some anaerobic glues and in one gelcoat. Some cases of allergic reactions to bis-EMA have been reported in the literature, many of them among dental personnel (1–4), and often with a simultaneous reaction to diglycidylether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) epoxy resin (2, 4, 5) and bis-GMA (1, 2, 4, 5). However, we have found no detailed descriptions of primary sensitization with known exposure to bis-EMA. One cleaner, previously reported by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, had allergic reactions to bis-EMA before she developed symptoms from bis-EMA-containing temporary crown paste (6). Here, we describe a patient who was sensitized to bis-EMA in anaerobic glue.