title: [Insect venom allergies].
abstract: Systemic IgE-mediated immediate type reactions (anaphylaxis) due to honeybee or vespid stings are potentially life-threatening; they are reported in up to 5% of the general population. Insect venom allergy is diagnosed by history, skin testing and measurement of insect venom-specific serum IgE; sometimes additional tests are needed. The diagnosis is based on the history of a systemic allergic immediate type sting reaction, without such a medical history any other "positive" test results are irrelevant. Nearly always, patients with systemic allergic sting reactions can be protected from further episodes of anaphylaxis by a carefully performed hyposensitization (specific immunotherapy). If therapeutic efficacy has been proven by tolerance of a re-sting, hyposensitization can be frequently stopped after 3 to 5 years. Patients with a particular risk of frequent re-stings or of very severe sting reactions may have to be treated for a longer time, some of them even life-long.
authors: Klinik und Poliklinik für Dermatologie und Allergologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. Christa.Wandschneider@lrz.unimuenchen.de
authors: Bernhard
authors: B
authors: Przybilla
authors: Franziska
authors: F
authors: Ruëff
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees; D001733:Bites and Stings; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000276:immunology; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D014688:Venoms / Q000633:toxicity*; D014863:Wasps
chemical_list: D014688:Venoms; D007073:Immunoglobulin E