Patch test in the diagnosis of food allergy.

ABSTRACT

Double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges (DBPCFC) are the gold standard method for diagnosing food allergies. However, due to the difficulty of their performance on routine clinic, there is a need for laboratory tools in order to minimise the frequency of DBPCFC. Atopy patch test (APT) represents a promising manner of diagnosing delayed-type allergic reactions. The APT may identify patients with food allergies with negative specific IgE. However, the clinical relevance of positive APT reactions is still to be proven by standardised outcome definitions.