Cross-sensitization between poppy seed and buckwheat in a food-allergic patient with poppy seed anaphylaxis

The opium poppy, Papaver somniferum L., is the source of both poppy
seeds and opium. The commercially available seeds are widely used
as ingredients for various kinds of food. IgE-mediated
sensitization to poppy seeds is rare, but, if present, clinical
symptoms are usually severe. Cross-sensitizations between poppy
seeds and other food allergens have been described with sesame,
hazelnut, rye grain and kiwi fruit. We report the case of a
17-year-old female with an apparently food-allergic reaction after
ingestion of a poppy seed cake. Allergological workup revealed a
poppy seed anaphylaxis and led to the identification of a novel
cross-sensitization with buckwheat. Copyright (c) 2006 S. Karger
AG, Basel.