Nous rapportons une serie de 69 enfants ayant presente une ou plusieurs allergies alimentaires entre l'age de six a 18 mois, a l'exclusion de l'allergie aux proteines du lait de vache. Les manifestations cliniques revelatrices etaient toujours moderees ou graves, ainsi 88,5 % avaient presente des manifestations systemiques a type d'angio-oedeme (52 %), d'urticaire generalisee (36 %), d'oedeme larynge (13 %) ou de crise d'asthme (10 %). Dans 11,5 % le signe d'appel etait un eczema acutise et resistant aux traitements usuels. Les principaux allergenes impliques apres une enquete ayant comporte des tests cutanes, des dosages d'IgE seriques specifiques et des tests de provocation labiaux ou oraux, etaient l'oeuf (60,2 %), l'arachide (50 %), le poisson (10,3 %) et la noix de cajou (5,8 %). Le terrain atopique etait quasi constant dans cette population (90 % des cas) et l'evolution n'etait favorable vers la tolerance alimentaire que pour une partie des allergiques a l'oeuf (53 %), une seule guerison a l'arachide etant observee. En revanche, les allergies a la noix de cajou et au poisson semblaient fixees. Un syndrome des allergies alimentaires multiples etait observe chez 43 % des nourrissons et un asthme est survenu chez 33 enfants (48 %). La precocite d'apparition de l'allergie alimentaire et la polysensibilisation representaient, dans cette serie, des signes de gravite et d'evolution pejorative de la maladie allergique.
We report our findings on a group of 69 children without cow's milk allergy who had one or several other food allergies between 6 and 18 months of age. Their initial symptoms were of moderate to severe intensity: 61 (88.5%) of them had had systemic symptoms, including angioedema (52%), generalized urticaria (36%), laryngeal edema (13%) and asthma (10%). In 11.5% of the patients, the first sign was severe acute eczema that did not respond to the usual treatment. The most important allergens, those identified with skin tests, serological assay for specific IgE antibody and labial or oral challenge tests, were egg (60.2%), peanut (50%), fish (10.3%) and cashew nut (5.8%). An atopic background was present in 90% of these infants. Of those allergic to eggs, 53% subsequently had no reaction to this food, whereas only one child allergic to peanuts and none of those allergic to cashew nuts or fish became symptom-free. Forty-three percent of the infants suffered from multiple food allergies, and asthma had developed in 33 (48%) of them. In conclusion, the early onset of food allergy and the presence of multiple sensitivities in this group of patients pointed to the seriousness and the unfavorable evolution of their allergic condition.