Contact sensitivity to the amide anesthetics lidocaine, prilocaine, and mepivacaine. Case report and review of the literature.

Multiple sensitivities to amide local anesthetics occurred in a 70-year-old woman following dental treatment. Soft-tissue swelling of the cheek was the clinical presentation. Patch testing confirmed type IV hypersensitivity to lidocaine, prilocaine, mepivacaine, and dibucaine. We review the classification of local anesthetics and the literature relating to contact sensitivity to the amide group.