Povidone-iodine (PVP-1) is a widely used antiseptic because of its low toxicity and germicidal effect. A 16 year old patient who had undergone incision and debridement of an anal abscess developed contact dermatitis on his buttocks postoperatively. The lesion had been exposed to a gauze immersed in a 10% povidone-iodine solution for 8 hours, but the skin around the surgical field directly painted with 10% povidone-iodine solution didn't show any effect. A patch test with povidone-iodine produced a negative response in this patient. These observations indicate that prolonged exposure to wet povidone-iodine is harmful. It is important that povidone-iodine be used carefully to prevent contact dermatitis.