[Food allergies 1983-1987].

229 patients who showed an immediate-type allergy to one or more specific foodstuffs diagnosed from 1983 to 1987 at the Allergy Unit of the Department of Dermatology, Zurich University Hospital, have been studied. Of these predominantly adult patients, 66 (28.8%) were male and 163 (71.2%) female. 70.7% of the food allergic patients also showed one or more atopic manifestations, in particular 53.3% a pollinosis. The food-induced symptoms included involvement of the skin (rashes, urticaria, angioedema) (46.4), the respiratory tract (asthma, rhinorrhea) (24.1%) and the gastrointestinal tract (21.8%). 14.4% reacted with anaphylactic shock. Generally the patients showed involvement of two or more organs. In only 7% of all cases was food allergy responsible for a chronic allergic condition such as urticaria, asthma or intestinal symptoms. Concerning diagnostic procedures, a careful case history and various techniques of skin testing, particularly with raw foods, are helpful. RAST was negative in more of the half of the diagnosed cases. Confirming previously published work, food allergens were mainly found among vegetables, such as celery with 44.5%, followed by carrots (14.4%) and spices (16.6%). In these cases there were cross-reactivities between birch or mugwort pollens. Cheese and milk allergies (14%) were present in patients without previous atopic manifestations. We confirm that the so-called "celery-carrot-mugwort-spice-syndrome" is more frequent in females (81.4%) than in males. In 24 cases celery-spice sensitization was responsible for severe anaphylactic reactions.