Abstract

Aim: The most frequent food allergy in early childhood is cow's milk allergy (CMA). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the clinical and laboratory findings of our patients with CMA. Methods: Nineteen cases who had presented with recurrent complaints such as wheezing, urticaria, atopic dermatitis and rhinitis, and who were diagnosed as CMA with clinical and laboratory findings vuere evaluated retrospeetively. Presenting complaints, onset of symptoms, the time they were seen in allergy clinic, atopic disease in the family, complete blood count, total eosinophil count, immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels, food mixed (fx5), inhalant, milk and egg specific IgE (slgE), skin prick test results, responses to the elimination diet were noted. Results: Complaints of the patients had started at 4.6±1.6 months (2-7 months), skin fındings were prominent at this time (urticaria 31%, atopic dermatitis 31%), but respiratory symptoms (wheezing 47.4%) gained more importance afterwards. All of the patients responded to the elimination. In five patients provocation test was positive after one year of elimination. In all of the cases fx5 and milk slgE were positive and milk slgE leuel was class 2 and above. Egg slgE was positive in 47% of the patients. Milk allergy was demonstrated in all and egg allergy was demonstrated in seven of the 12 cases, to whom prick test was performed. In two cases (10%) inhalant slgE was positive. Conclusion: In our cases, symptoms began as skin findings in early life. However, complaints concerning respiratory system were the prominent symptoms when they were referred to allergy clinic. Even though CMA is seen in the first year s of life, it might persist afterwards. Diagnosis of this disease, in which elimination is important for management, must be confirmed.