Archive

Autumn 2001, Vol. 9 No. 3

H.K. Dermatol. Venereol. Bull. (2001) 9, 110-116

Review Article

The Role of Food Allergy in Atopic Dermatitis in Children

WK Yu

Abstract
Atopic dermatitis (AD) patients have an increased incidence of IgE-mediated allergy to various allergens. In double blind placebo controlled food challenge (DBPCFC), the gold standard for food allergy, immediate reactions within two hours are most common but delayed reactions have also been reported. Skin prick test (SPT) and RAST test have high sensitivity but low specificity. Some authors showed that food patch test could identify patients with delayed reactions. SPT studies in Asian countries showed different results from western countries, with crustacean seafood having the highest positive rate.