[Severe contact-allergy dermatitis due to poison ivy--a plant that is rarely encountered in The Netherlands; a family history].

In successive years, three members of the same family (a man and woman aged 46 years and their son, aged 20) constantly developed severe pruritic, erythematous, vesicular and bullous dermatitis in the spring and summer after working in the garden. Although the findings were consistent with a photophytotoxic dermatitis, the causative plant remained unclear. Oral therapy with high doses ofprednisolone was necessary. When the man travelled to the USA and visited a doctor there, he recognised the symptoms as those of contact dermatitis caused by poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), a plant that is found sporadically in the wild state in Europe. Their grandparents had brought the plant back from a trip to the USA and planted it in the garden because of the beautiful fall colours. The family identified the plant via a search on Internet and eliminated it from the garden completely. Since then, the family has no longer suffered from contact-allergy dermatitis.