Results of a milk and/or egg free diet in children with atopic dermatitis.

Food allergy plays an important role in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis. Exclusion of eggs and milk from the diet of children during the first few months of life has been proven to significantly reduce the severity of eczema in children aged between 2 and 8 years. We studied the efficacy of exclusion of milk and/or egg from the diet of 59 children with severe atopic dermatitis. A detailed personal and family history was obtained. Total and specific IgE levels were determined on one hand, and intracutaneous tests were evaluated on the other. All allergens suspected of being implicated in the genesis of atopic dermatitis were eliminated from the diet. Clinical improvement was observed in 80% of cases after dietary exclusion. The younger children responded best, and the response to diet was not influenced by the severity of the eczema. No relation was observed between the family history of atopy and response to diet. Neither total nor specific IgE titers presented significant differences when the responder groups were compared.