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The topical anesthetic EMLA cream (2.5% lidocaine and 2.5% prilocaine in an oil-and-water emulsion) is widely used for curettage, venipuncture, or lumbar puncture and before injecting local anesthesia for minor surgical procedures, such as skin biopsy. EMLA is frequently used in the pediatric population, with cutaneous adverse reactions rarely reported. This small study alerts us to changes in histology related to this local treatment.
The authors reviewed 13 skin biopsy specimens taken from children (mean age, 3.6 years) after application of EMLA for anesthesia. Four patients were found to have erythematous and squamous diseases; four, keratinization disorders; three, bullous disease; one, suspected storage disease; and one, suspected conne…