A case of anaphylaxis due to ibuprofen

A forty-four-year-old Japanese female, who had persistant rhinorrhea, was administered Benza block tablets orally along with two other medicines. Immediately after ingestion, the patient displayed itching of the right upper eyelid, followed by coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, nasal obstruction, nausea, vomiting, swelling of the face, and dyspnea. She had edema, a wheal extending from the face to the neck, and swelling of the eyelids and lips. Her symptoms subsided after treatment. Her reaction to ibuprofen, which was contained in the Benza Block tablets, was confirmed by a positive reaction to prick testing. From the results of these examinations, our patient was diagnosed as having anaphylaxis due to the ibuprofen in the Benza Block tablets. A review of the literature revealed no previous reports of anaphylaxis due to ibuprofen, although a few cases of ibuprofen urticaria have been reported.