title: Clinical practice: Allergen-specific immunotherapy in children: facts and FAQs.
abstract: Allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) in its various application forms represents the main treatment approach of IgE-mediated allergic diseases in adults and children. Despite this clear recommendation, many particularities of products, patient characteristics, and product availability in different countries hamper the use of allergen-specific immunotherapy in particular in children. The frequently asked questions by parents, patients, and physicians are the backbone of this review. Thus, the potentials and limitations of allergen-specific immunotherapy in children and adolescents will be highlighted. IgE-mediated allergic diseases are affecting about 20% of the population. They manifest commonly early in life, and hence, the use of SIT should be considered also early in the course of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Pneumology, Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria. zsolt.szepfalusi@meduniwien.ac.at
authors.forename: Zsolt
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Szépfalusi
authors.forename: Saskia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gruber
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eiwegger
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dehlink
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D007073:Immunoglobulin E