| Disease | TO PRESENT A RARE OCCURRENCE IN EAR, NOSE AND THROAT PRACTICE OF UPPER AIRWAY ALLERGIC EDEMA FROM USE OF JUICE EXTRACTED FROM THE FRUIT OF ECBALLIUM ELATERIUM. MOST OF THE PATIENTS PRESENTED WITH LOCALIZED SWELLING OF THE UVULA AND THE NASAL
MUCOSA, WHEREAS IN THE REMAINDER OF THE PATIENTS VARIOUS SITES OF SWELLING OF THE UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT WERE OBSERVED. SKIN TESTS ELICITED POSITIVE REACTIONS TO POLLEN WEEDS AND TO VARIOUS FRUITS OFTHE CUCURBITACEAE FAMILY. TREATMENT OF THE
PATIENTS WITH CORTICOSTEROIDS AND ANTIHISTAMINES RESULTED IN AN UNEVENTFUL RECOVERY, AND WE DID NOT NEED TO RESORT TO THERAPEUTIC MODALITIES, SUCH AS INTUBATION OR TRACHEOTOMY. FURTHER STUDY OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE PLANT'S FRUIT
JUICE IS NEEDED, ESPECIALLY REGARDING ITS CURATIVEPROPERTIES OF RHINITIS AND SINUSITIS. HOWEVER, ADVERSE REACTIONS IN SOME PATIENTS WITH A POSITIVE HISTORY OF ALLERGY SHOULD ALWAYS BE CONSIDERED. KEY WORDS: CUCURBITACEAE, ALLERGIC RHINITIS,
EDEMA, IMMEDIATE HYPERSENSITIVITY,CROSS-REACTIONS. |