Neck cellulitis complicating spectacle frames’ contact dermatitis: A case report

Neck cellulitis occurs as a result of dental, pharyngeal or ear infections or following trauma, but rarely via a cutaneous entry point. A 34-year-old female patient consulted with a left-sided, painful cervical swelling with limited head rotation and trismus, accompanied by a painful, oozing, retroauricular contact dermatitis (CD). Clinical examination confirmed the left cervical cellulitis with superinfected retroauricular CD. A computed tomography scan of the neck revealed no abscess. Systemic antibiotic therapy against streptococci and staphylococci for 8 days, combined with hygiene care for the CD lesions and the avoidance of glasses with metal frames, resulted in complete recovery without recurrence. Patch tests revealed sensitization to several metals, particularly nickel. Eyeglasses may cause allergic CD, an inflammatory skin disease caused by a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction. Metal spectacle frames are particularly prone to causing CD, mainly due to the presence of nickel. Because of the skin breakdown it entails, spectacle frames’ CD may lead to skin infections and neck cellulitis. Spectacle frame CD should be investigated in patients presenting with retroauricular eczema. To our knowledge, the case of neck cellulitis induced by spectacle frame-allergic CD has never been reported.