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Adult onset grape hypersensitivity causing life threatening anaphylaxis
S K Vaswani1, B W Chang, R N Carey
1Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group & Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21244, USA.
Background:
Adverse reactions to foods are encountered much less frequently in adults than in the children. Adult onset hypersensitivity to grapes has not been previously reported.
Objective:
Evaluation of a case of anaphylaxis that occurred as a result of the consumption of white grapes (Vitis vinifera).
Methods And Results:
A 28-year-old woman experienced generalized urticaria, facial/oropharyngeal angioedema, and dizziness after eating a bunch of white grapes. She was treated in an emergency room for anaphylaxis. Previously, she had experienced two similar episodes after eating white grapes. The grape prick skin tests were strongly positive forming a pseudopod type reaction. The total serum IgE was 1918 ng/mL. The grape-specific serum IgE was weakly positive by the modified RAST and negative in the Pharmacia-Upjohn Cap System.
Conclusion:
Hypersensitivity to a commonly consumed fruit such as grapes can develop late in life causing a near-fatal anaphylaxis.