Allergic photocontact dermatitis due to suprofen

We report 5 cases of Photocontact dermatitis due to suprofen, a nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug introduced to the Japanese market in 1989, and available as a 1% ointment. The patients developed pruritic eczematous lesions after applying the ointment for from 2 weeks to 3 months. All 5 patients reacted positively to photopatch testing with ultraviolet A (UVA) and suprofen down to 0.1–0.01% pet., and 3 patients showed positive reactions with ultraviolet B (UVB)and suprofen down to 1.0–0.1% Moreover, all patients showed a cross‐reaction with tiaprofenic acid, which has a very similar chemical structure to suprofen. However, there was no cross‐reaction between suprofen and ketoprofen. Prescribers should be aware of the existence of photocontact sensitivity due to these drugs.