Allergic reaction to inadvertent peanut contact in a child.

Peanut anaphylaxis is a potentially near-fatal or fatal disease complicated by the fact that peanuts as well as other food items are commonly used as an adulterant in the preparation of foods. A boy is reported with peanut allergy to demonstrate, presumably for the first time, that contact urticaria occasionally provoked by peanuts can be associated with IgE-mediated allergy. Methods included skin prick tests, specific IgE determination, and open food challenge. All data were positive for an IgE-mediated allergy, and the open challenge with peanut resulted in systemic reactions. Food allergy is a common ailment in childhood. Although the ideal treatment is elimination of the offending allergen hidden, accidental, or unusual exposures can cause unwanted reactions, and anaphylaxis. The most reliable treatment appears to be prevention.