BUCKWHEAT ALLERGY : ANALYSIS OF 22 CASES RECORDED BY THE ALLERGY VIGILANCE NETWORK (2002-2006)

Twenty-two cases of severe anaphytaxis associated with buckwhear (fagopyrum esculentum) were declared by the AllergyVigilance Network between 2002 and 2006: 13 females and 9 males (mean age: 30 years). The prevalence of buckwheat anaphylaxis out of 489 cases of food anaphylaxis was 4.5%. Symptoms were anaphylactic shock (11 cases), serious systemic reactions (7 cases), laryngeal angioedema (3 cases) and pre-lethal (or sub-lethal?) acute asthma (1 case). Anaphylaxis was induced by oral challenge in one patient. 77% patients were in hospital from several hours up to four days, but epinephrine was used in only 40% of cases. Half the people suffered repeated episodes. In four cases, buckwheat flour was a masked allergen. The authors list all kinds of food that might contain buckwheat (eviction died on www.cicbaa.org). They underline the relationship between frequent buckwheat consumption and the prevalence of allergy. They emphasize that there is no compulsory labelling.