Allergic Angioedema and Urticaria After Ingestion of Organic Tea - Allergic Angioedema and Urticaria After Ingestion of Organic Tea - Open Access Pub

Allergic angioedema of the airways is a potentially life-threatening condition. The allergen can be difficult to identify. Treatment in the acute phase comprises of antihistamines, steroids, adrenaline and in severe cases prophylactic intubation. Allergic angioedema can be encountered in all medical specialties including odontology. It can develop fast and emergency treatment is lifesaving. Knowledge of symptoms and emergency treatment is important. We present a case of a 33-year-old female physician who in a matter of hours developed first an atypical urticarial eruption followed by angioedema of the upper airways. She was treated with antihistamines, as she refused other treatments due to lactation. The patient also refused further investigations, however she has not had any further episodes after discontinuing the ingestion of organic tea. Allergic reactions are unpredictable and have a large variety of triggers. The most likely trigger in this case was fungicide in the organic tea. DOI10.14302/issn.2473-1005.jdoi-16-1059 Angioedema is a potentially life-threatening condition, which can arise both due to mast-cell activation, but also due to increased levels of bradykinin or other vasoactive mediators. Angioedema can arise during or after dental treatment, but patients with recurrent angioedema can also seek assistance from their dentist, when the condition involves the perioral area or oral cavity. Hence it is an important condition to be able to identify. Allergic reactions are a heterogeneous group, with mild contact dermatitis in one end of the spectrum to life-threatening anaphylaxis in the other. Angioedema (AE) is a common symptom during allergic reactions 1. AE is for all intentive purposes a clinical diagnosis. It presents as a non-pitting, subdermal swelling, which can be fatal if involving the upper airways including the tongue, pharynx or larynx to the point of obstruction 2. There are several different forms of AE including hereditary, allergic, iatrogenic, idiopathic and acquired (i.e. treatment with angiotensin converting enzyme-inhibitors or gliptins). Allergic AE is driven by the release of histamine and other vasoactive molecules from mast cells and basophilic granulocytes. The incidence of AE is not well described, but the overall lifetime prevalence of AE regardless of aetiology ranges from about 7-15% 3, 4. When minor angioedema episodes occurs in the lips or oral cavity, patients often consult a dentist, as they suspect infections of the teeth or a disease located to the salivary glands or mucosa. In children infections of the