Relationship between Skin Irritation and the Amount of Stripped Stratum Corneum following the Use of Adhesive Tape for the Treatment of Ischemic Heart Disease

The relationships between the amount of stripped stratum corneum and both the development of skin irritation and the adhesiveness of three different types of tape used for the treatment of ischemic heart disease were investigated in elderly patients (14 to 16 patients/group). The tapes tested in this study were isosorbide dinitrate [Frandol® tape S (FDS)] was nitroglycerin [Nitroderm® TTS® (TTS) and Minitro® tape (MTT)]. Each tape was applied to the breast of each patient for 24 h. The amount of stripped stratum corneum and the adhesivenss of each tape were measured by the colorimetric method and the adhesion test described in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia, respectively. The ratio of patients who complained of skin irritation such as redness or contact dermatitis 24 h after application was approximately 20%, 56% and 70% and for FDS, TTS and MTT, respectively. The amount of stripped stratum corneum by MTT and TTS was thus significantly higher than that by FDS, however, no significant difference was observed between MTT and TTS. The amount of stripped stratum corneum correlated significantly with the incidence of skin irritation. The adhesiveness was the highest with MTT (379.1±23.8 g/12 mm), but did not correlate with the amount of stripped stratum corneum. Our findings in this small group of patients therefore suggest that incidence of skin irritation after the application of tape can be accurately estimated based on the amount of stripped stratum corneum.