WAO Allergy Quiz

Check your AQ (Allergy Quotient)

Edited by Glenis Scadding, MD

This month's quiz question was contributed by Bernard Yu-Hor Thong, MD, of Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore

Posted: 17 December 2010

A 32-year-old woman came to the Emergency Department for chronic persistent urticaria and periorbital angioedema, which has been occurring daily for the past four weeks. She was diagnosed with thyrotoxicosis six weeks ago, and she had been started on carbimazole 20 mg bd and propranolol 10 mg tds. Her sister also had a history of urticaria and agioedema.

Which of the following is true?

a. She has allergy to seafood, and a skin prick test should be doen to see which type of seafood she is allergic to.
b. C1 inhibitor deficiency (hereditary angioedema) should be excluded.
c. She should be prescribed a non-sedating anti-histamine and instructed to take it as needed.
d. Urticaria and angioedema are likely to be related to underlying autoimmune thyroid disease and not due to carbimazole allergy.
e. If she has a history of fish allergy, then radioablative iodine is contraindicated.