Aromatic plants--a cause of severe attacks of angio-edema and urticaria

Celery and parsley were confirmed as etiological agents in 14 patients with severe attacks of angio-edema and urticaria. All of the patients proved to be atopic. Without exception they all had positive prick test reactions to mugwort. The patients were examined using the scratch - chamber test method and all of them showed positive reactions to celery and 12 patients to parsley. No peroral provocation tests were performed because of the severity of the reactions in the past. Passive transfer by the prausnitz-Küster technique was positive in two patients.