Peanut allergy and the dermatologist

It does not usually fall within the remit of a dermatologist to diagnose and manage patients with peanut allergy, particularly children. However, there is an important overlap with the work of consultant allergists who generally manage such patients, both with regards to sensitisation to peanuts and managing patients with eczema who also have food allergies. In this article, I hope to raise awareness of food allergy as a concomitant problem for children with atopic eczema, help point out the pitfalls of arriving at the correct diagnosis, and discuss some research which points towards possible new ways of managing such patients in the future. The number of young children with a diagnosis of peanut allergy doubled between 1997 and 2002. There are many theories as to why this increase has occurred, but at this time there are no definite answers.