Bowel wall thickening in infants with food allergy

Background. Food allergy may be partly due to impairment of the intestinal barrier and is frequently associated with atopic dermatitis (AD) in early life. Objective. To determine whether bowel wall thickening, as demonstrated by US, is useful for the identification of food allergy. Materials and methods. We used US to study eight infants with food allergy and ten non-allergic controls to clarify whether specific intestinal findings in the jejunum, ileum and colon are present in infants with AD who have food allergy. Results. Wall thickening was observed in all eight patients with food allergy, but only in the jejunum; it disappeared after elimination of suspected dietary allergens. Bowel wall thickening returned in the two allergic patients who received a food challenge test. Conclusions. Wall thickening of more than 2 mm on US in the jejunum in infants with AD may be a useful marker to evaluate the presence of food allergy and therapeutic effects.