Dermatitis with an unusual explanation in a welder.

Abstract

Occupational diseases among welders include asthma, acute keratoconjunctivitis, and various skin disorders. A localized cutaneous erythema from UVC radiation is common and does not generally constitute any problem, as its cause is obvious to the welder, the symptoms are slight, and it is transient. In this report a welder with UVC-induced erythema on the cheeks is described. Initially, neither the worker, the physician at the factory, nor ourselves suspected a UVC erythema. Extensive investigations, including factor visits with measurements of UVA, UVB, and UVC irradiance during welding, revealed the cause of the dermatitis to be UVC, most likely reflected from a textile hood used to prevent exposure to dirt.