An evaluation of the diagnostic value of different skin tests with egg in clinically egg-allergic children having atopic dermatitis.
Skin testing is a common diagnostic procedure in food allergy, but the final diagnosis of food allergy is based on the clinical response to food challenge. We studied the value of the skin prick-prick test (SPT), skin application food test (SAFT) and atopy patch test (APT) with fresh egg extract in diagnosing egg allergy. Ten clinically egg-allergic children with atopic dermatitis (AD; age 10 months to 8.4 yr, mean 3.4 yr) and 10 egg-tolerant children with and 10 without AD (age 2.4-11 yr, mean 5.5 yr) participated. In SAFT several false-negative reactions were seen, whereas all clinically egg-allergic children were positive in SPT and 40-60% in APT. In APT and in SPT false-positive reactions to egg were observed. In this study comprising a small number of patients including control subjects, neither SAFT nor APT with fresh whole egg extract were able to increase the diagnostic accuracy in detecting egg-allergic children with AD compared with SPT.
Department of Dermatology, Allergy Center, Odense University Hospital, Sdr. Boulevard 29, DK-5000 Odense C, Denmark. tinekh@dadlnet.de
Tine K
TK
Hansen
Arne
A
Høst
Carsten
C
Bindslev-Jensen
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000150:complications*; D021181:Egg Hypersensitivity / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004531:Eggs / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012882:Skin Tests / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods