Background: The prevalence of latex allergy varies according to the population studied from 3% to 64%. No data exist in the present literature about elderly people because they were not considered among populations at risk. We report a retrospective observational study of 88 elderly patients of our centre of Dermatology and Allergology at Policlinico Umberto I, University of Rome, Sapienza.Results: First and second level diagnostic tests showed latex positivity in 11,4% of patients studied for latex allergy in the elderly population.Conclusions: Our study demonstrates a prevalence of elderly-latex sensitization of 11,4%, showing that allergy to latex is a growing disease that can occur at any age. So, we propose these patients as an additional risk category for latex allergy. © 2014 Grieco et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
LATEX sensitization in elderly: allergological study and diagnostic protocol / Grieco, Teresa; Faina, Valentina; Laura, Dies; Marzio, Milana; Emidio, Silvestri; Calvieri, Stefano. - In: IMMUNITY & AGEING. - ISSN 1742-4933. - 11:1(2014), p. 7. [10.1186/1742-4933-11-7]
LATEX sensitization in elderly: allergological study and diagnostic protocol.
GRIECO, Teresa;FAINA, VALENTINA;CALVIERI, Stefano
2014
Abstract
Background: The prevalence of latex allergy varies according to the population studied from 3% to 64%. No data exist in the present literature about elderly people because they were not considered among populations at risk. We report a retrospective observational study of 88 elderly patients of our centre of Dermatology and Allergology at Policlinico Umberto I, University of Rome, Sapienza.Results: First and second level diagnostic tests showed latex positivity in 11,4% of patients studied for latex allergy in the elderly population.Conclusions: Our study demonstrates a prevalence of elderly-latex sensitization of 11,4%, showing that allergy to latex is a growing disease that can occur at any age. So, we propose these patients as an additional risk category for latex allergy. © 2014 Grieco et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.