Beware of the plant: cutaneous reactions to plants in children

Abstract

Children may encounter potentially harmful plants in a variety of different ways. These include playing in the garden or the fields, the use of plant parts as weapons of warfare or camouflage. Ingestion of brightly coloured berries is a frequent cause of anxiety and visits to the local casualty department. Apart from exposure to plants which are normally toxic to man, some individuals develop a specific hypersensitivity to a particular plant species, either after handling or ingestion. This review outlines the major cutaneous reactions to plants which are encountered in paediatric practice. Accurate management depends on an accurate diagnosis, both of the eruption and of the offending plant. The chief types of cutaneous eruption are summarised in Table 1.