L’allergie alimentaire aux lentilles : une entité méconnue chez l’enfant

Abstract

Introduction: Food allergies affect about 6-8 % of children. Legumes are the most common ingredients in the Mediterranean diet. They occupy the fifth place among the foods responsible for allergic reactions that can be severe and cause anaphylaxis. Lentils are most involved in IgE-mediated food allergies in children. However, little information is available on lentil allergens.Objectives: The aim of this study is to describe the clinical and biological picture of food allergy to lentils in order to raise awareness of this emerging allergen among pediatricians.Patients and Methods: We report 4 cases of food allergy to lentils in children aged 3 to 6 years, 2 of whom were male. Clinical symptoms occurred within 2 hours of ingestion or inhalation of lens vapor. Three patients consulted for localized or generalized urticarial reactions, including one with angioedema of the face. One patient had consulted on several occasions for unexplained discomfort after meals. A personal or family atopic background was found in 3 patients. Two of these patients had other associated food allergies: to fish (2 cases), peanut (1 case), egg (2 cases) and shrimp (1 case). One of our patients was found to be underweight (-2 SD). Prick tests to the native allergen were very positive in two children and confirmed the diagnosis. They were doubtful in one case and were not performed in a child with a very severe clinical picture. The specific IgE assay was very positive in one case. The evolution was favorable in all cases. The management consisted of a strict avoidance of raw or cooked lentils as well as other foods in the context of a cross-food allergy.Conclusion: Allergy to lenses is rare in our context. Its diagnosis is based on a suggestive anamnesis, followed in case of doubt by an oral provocation test. It is essentially due to the major allergen vicilin Len c 1. It may be associated with hypersensitivity to other legumes belonging to the same family, notably peas. In the majority of cases, the disease evolves favorably and tolerance is acquired.