Cow's milk allergy: diagnostic accuracy of skin prick and patch tests and specific IgE

Abstract

Our study demonstrated that many patients with a negative prick test result had a positive patch test to cow's milk. The patch test was a more sensitive method than the prick test or RAST to detect cow's milk allergy in this study population. Our results indicate that patch testing will significantly increase the probability of early detection of cow's milk allergy. Confirmation of the diagnosis is essential in patients with negative test results but a clinical suspicion of food allergy, and in patch test-positive patients. For this purpose, the most reliable method is the elimination-challenge procedure.

Atopie-Patch-Test mit Aeroallergenen und Nahrungsmitteln

“…In den meis ten Stu di en wur den na ti ve Nahrungs mit tel wie Hüh nerei, Wei zen mehl, Kuh milch oder So ja pro duk te in 12-mmAlu mi ni um test kam mern für 24 oder 48 h auf der Haut der Pa ti en ten ge tes tet. Ma ja maa et al [20] un ter such ten 142 Kinder un ter 2 Jah ren mit ver mu te ter Kuhmilchall er gie. In 50 der Fäl le war die ora le Pro vo ka ti ons tes tung po si tiv (22 Sofort ty p re ak tio nen).…”

Significance of dietotherapy on the clinical course of atopic dermatitis

“…Atopic dermatitis for all these children was diagnosed according to standardized diagnostic criteria (provided by Hanifin and Rajka, 1980); severity of clinical course of atopic dermatitis was measured by the SCORAD (Severity Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis) index (European Task Force on Atopic Dermatitis, 1993); allergic skin tests (skin prick and patch tests with food allergens) were done in order to determine food products that cause allergy. Skin patch test with 25 food allergens was done following recommendations, provided by Finnish scientists (20). A special questionnaire (prepared by the researchers) helped to determine previous and current gastrointestinal disorders (type of abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal distention).…”

“…In the last decade, in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis, delayed-type immune reactions and a new diagnostic method, i.e. skin patch test with food allergens, have been recognized (18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23).…”

A Review on Current Food Allergy

“…In the past, a variety of investigations such as skin prick tests, atopy patch tests, radioallergosorbent test (RAST) and serum IgE levels have been used (Majamaa et al, 1999). These tests are not very helpful.…”