Anaphylaxis to Curry Powder in Childhood / 소아알레르기및호흡기학회지

ABSTRACT

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.