Urticaria And Angioedema Caused By Currant Sauce

BACKgrOUND: Currant is the fruit of the currantbush. It belongs to the Grossuraliaceae family, Rosal order, Ribes spp. genus. Its consumption is progressively growing in western societies as a result of being low in calories and rich in vitamine C and carotenes as well as for its antioxidant effect. Alimentary allergy to the Rosidae subclass is the most common in our country but currant allergy is extremely rare. CASE REPORT: A 19-year-old woman was diagnosed during her childhood of urticaria caused by peanuts and sunflower seeds, with no rhinoconjuntivitis or asthma history. She presented with eyelid and genital angioedema, facial and cervical erithema, generalized hives and dysphonia, after having eaten duck with currant sauce and cheese and lettuce salad. The patient tolerated peach, apple, plum, strawberry, seeds, almonds and pistachio. After this event of urticaria-angioedema, she tolerated duck, lettuce and cheese. Her diet was peanut free. METHODS: Skin prick tests were positive to Dactyllis g. and Artemisia v. pollen, currant, apple, plum, peach, peanut and sunflower seed. Serum total IgE mesured: 138 UI/ml. Specific IgE was positive to currant (ELISA), peach 7.71, apple 3.63, plum 0.70, strawberry 0.67 ad peanut 1.13 KU/L and negative to sunflower seed (CAP Pharmacia). CONCLUSIONS: We report a case of urticaria-angioedema caused by immediate Ig E mediated hypersensitivity to currant, in a patient with subclinic allergy to dactyllis and artemisia pollen and rosacea family fruits. In this patient, both skin prick test and specific IgE were positive, in contrast to what has been reported in formerly published cases.