Adverse food reactions by skin contact.

The skin is very much exposed to food contact, both in the occupational and nonoccupational settings. Through such an exposure, adverse reactions can occur that may be irritant or immunologic. Both such types of reactions are particularly common in children with atopic dermatitis. Immunologic reactions can be immediate (immunoglobulin E-mediated) or delayed (cell-mediated), and can be localized or systemic. The latter can be life-threatening, even following trivial exposure. Clinical and experimental data are accumulating to indicate that epicutaneous exposure to food can induce de novo systemic immunoglobulin E sensitization. Copyright 2004 Blackwell Munksgaard