title: [Type I hypersensitivity to nocturnal Lepidoptera in a Costa Rican allergic population].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Allergic patients are routinely tested for various allergens including molds, food, pollen, cockroaches and house dust mites; however, there are patients who present allergy symptoms but show negative results in Prick tests with the available allergens.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the percentage of patients sensitized to the nocturnal Lepidoptera and its role as an important environmental allergen.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis was carried out in which we determined the percentage of patients allergic to nocturnal Lepidoptera, house dust mites (Blomia tropicalis, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farinae and Tyrophagus putrescentiae) and insects (Periplaneta americana and Musca domestica). Also, we analyzed the demographics and symptoms of the patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  63% of the patients were allergic to house dust mites, 39% to nocturnal Lepidoptera, 28% to Periplaneta americana and 24% to Musca domestica. Also, 2% of the patients allergic to only one allergen were mono-sensitized to nocturnal Lepidoptera.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We strongly recommend that allergists constantly test for nocturnal Lepidoptera, because most of the studied patients had allergy to these insects.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio Clínico, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica. daniela.jaikelviquez@ucr.ac.cr.
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sandí-Villalobos
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jaikel-Víquez
authors.forename: Olman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Riggioni-Cordero
keywords: Prick test; allergy; moth; nocturnal Lepidoptera