Fatal anaphylactic shock due to a dental impression material.

Sebastiano Gangemi, Elvira Ventura Spagnolo, Giulio Cardia, Paola L Minciullo

School of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.

The International journal of prosthodontics 2009 Jan-Feb

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Materials used for dental impressions are usually safe. This study describes a case of fatal anaphylaxis that appeared immediately after the oral mucosa came into contact with an alginate paste used for dental impressions. The cadaveric examination and the postmortem toxicology report confirmed that the cause of death was anaphylactic shock. The patient was affected by both cardiovascular and lung diseases that worsened the condition and forbade the use of epinephrine. To the authors' knowledge, dental impression materials, and alginate in particular, have not been reported previously as being a cause of anaphylaxis.

Citation

Sebastiano Gangemi, Elvira Ventura Spagnolo, Giulio Cardia, Paola L Minciullo. Fatal anaphylactic shock due to a dental impression material. The International journal of prosthodontics. 2009 Jan-Feb;22(1):33-4