title: Misdiagnosed food allergy resulting in severe malnutrition in an infant.
abstract: As food allergies become increasingly prevalent and testing methods to identify "food allergy" increase in number, the importance of careful diagnosis has become even more critical. Misdiagnosis of food allergy and inappropriate use of unproven testing modalities may lead to a harmful food-elimination diet. This case is an example of an infant who was placed on an overly restrictive elimination diet at the recommendation of her health care providers, resulting in kwashiorkor and acquired acrodermatitis enteropathica.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Division of Allergy and Immunology, Dallas, TX 75390-9063, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alvares
authors.forename: Leon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: Vineeta
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mittal
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wuu
authors.forename: April
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: J Andrew
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bird
mesh_terms: D000169:Acrodermatitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D000529:Complementary Therapies; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000178:diet therapy*; D005526:Food, Formulated; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D007428:Intradermal Tests; D007732:Kwashiorkor / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D010289:Parenteral Nutrition, Total; D015032:Zinc / Q000172:deficiency
chemical_list: D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D015032:Zinc
keywords: acrodermatitis enteropathica; food allergy; food allergy testing; food intolerance; kwashiorkor