Occupational contact urticaria syndrome caused by globe artichoke

Al though hypersensitivity reactions to foods usually occur after ingestion, it is increasingly recognized that food antigens can also cause systemic allergic symptoms both th rough inhalat ion and after percutaneous absorption. 1-3 Significant exposure to food allergens through the respiratory and cutaneous routes occurs mainly among food handlers in the workplace and also among homemakers. We describe a patient in whom allergic skin and respiratory symptoms developed after handling globe artichokes at work. The globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus) is a Compositae plant, allied to the thistles, and widely cultivated in kitchen gardens. Its edible portions are the fleshy bases of the scales of the gigantic thistle-like flower and its receptacle or inner "heart," after being boiled.