Anaphylaxis to Curry Powder in Childhood / 소아알레르기및호흡기학회지

A 15-year old boy visited Samsung Medical Center complaining that when he ate curry and rice two months ago, he developed immediate palatal itching, generalized urticaria, headache and dyspnea. His chest radiographs were normal. He had no history of allergy, but a methacholine provocation challenge test revealed positive findings (PC20 3.62 mg/mL). Skin prick tests revealed positive findings to asparagus, house dust mites (Dp, Df), flower pollens (aster, chrysanthemum, golden rod), weed pollens (mugwort, ragweed, dandelion, short ragweed) and crude extract of curry powder. Specific IgE to Dp, Df and soy bean were positive (6.52, 31.2 and 1.91 kU/L) and total IgE was 1, 207 kU/L by the Pharmacia UniCAP- FEIA. After receiving parental consent, we performed an oral provocation test to confirm the relationship between his symptoms and curry powder. He ingested a small amount of curry powder with pure water, which was increased every 1 hour. We then measured his PEFR every 10 minutes after each subsequent curry powder ingestion. After he ate 20 gm of curry powder in one time, he exhibited profuse sweating, skin rash and dyspnea. When we treated him with epinephrine and bronchodilator, his symptoms improved. He developed the same symptoms 2 hours later, but these symptoms were brought under control by the same medication.

Clinical Considerations about Mycoplasmal Pneumonia in Children in South Gyeongnam Area / 소아알레르기및호흡기학회지

PURPOSE: Mycoplasmal pneumonia is one of the most common respiratory diseases in childhood, and is increasing in frequency. We reviewed several aspects of Mycoplasmal pneumonia for applying treatment. METHODS: We reviewed clinical and radiological features of 79 cases of serologically proven Mycoplasmal pneumonia in admitted children between January and December 2003. RESULTS: The mean age was 4 years 2 months and the sex ratio was 1: 1.25 in the male to female ratio. The peak incidence of monthly distribution was September. On the chest x-ray examination, bronchopneumonia was the most common type and the right lower lobe (RLL) was the most common unilateral involvement in lobar consolidation. Leukocytosis, positive CRP and positive ESR were common findings in Mycoplasma pneumonia. CONCLUSION: In this study, peak incidence of monthly distribution did not conflict with previous reports but peak incidence of age in Mycoplasmal pneumonia was lower than in those reports. More studies are needed to prove changes of previous manifestations in Mycoplasmal pneumonia.