Skip to main content

Plant-Induced Urticaria

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Dermatological Manual of Outdoor Hazards
  • 326 Accesses

Abstract

Most plants and plant products are innocuous, but a minority cause a variety of mild to severe adverse skin reactions that include urticaria, irritant contact dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis , and phototoxic dermatitis. Although irritant contact dermatitis is the most common of these skin manifestations, this chapter focuses on plant-induced urticaria as well as effective treatments and preventive strategies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Maurer M, Weller K, Bindslev-Jensen C, et al. Unmet clinical needs in chronic spontaneous urticaria. A GA2LEN task force report. Allergy. 2011;66:317–30.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Lovell CR. Current topics in plant dermatitis. Semin Dermatol. 1996;15:113–21.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Amaro C, Goossens A. Immunological occupational contact urticaria and contact dermatitis from proteins: a review. Contact Dermatitis. 2008;58:67–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Ismail M, Maibach H. The clinical significance of immunological contact urticaria to processed grains. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 2012;78:591–4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Lahti A. Contact urticaria to plants. Clin Dermatol. 1986;4:127–36.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Konstantinou GN, Grattan CEH. Food contact hypersensitivity syndrome: the mucosal contact urticaria paradigm. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2008;33:383–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Muluk BN, Cingi C. Oral allergy syndrome. Am J Rhinol Allergy. 2018;32:27–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Kanerva L, Estlander T, Petman L, et al. Occupational allergic contact urticaria to yucca (Yucca aloifolia), weeping fig (Ficus benhamina) and spathe flower (Spathiphyllum wallisii). Allergy. 2001;56:1008–11.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Kiistala R, Makinen-Kiljunen S, Heikkinen K. Occupational allergic rhinitis and contact urticaria caused by bishop’s weed (Ammi majus). Allergy. 1999;54:635–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Paulsen E, Andersen K. Lettuce contact allergy. Contact Dermat. 2015;74:67–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Piirila P, Kanerva L, Alanko K. Occupational IgE-mediated asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and contact urticaria caused by Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum) and tulip. Allergy. 1998;54:273–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Oliver F, Amon EU, Breathnach A, et al. Contact urticaria due to the common stinging nettle (Urtica dioica)–histological, ultrastructural and pharmacological studies. Clin Exp Dermatol. 1991;16:1–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Maor D, Little M. Skin contact with a stinging tree requiring intensive care unit admission. Contact Dermat. 2017;77:325–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Freeman EE, Paul S, Shofner J, et al. Plant-induced dermatitis. In: Auerbach PS, Cushing TA, Stuart HN, editors. Auerbach’s wilderness medicine. Elsevier; 2017. p. 1413–33.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Webster GL. Irritant plants in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). Clin Dermatol. 1986;4:36–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Lukacs J, Schliemann S, Elsner P. Occupational contact urticaria caused by food–a systemic clinical review. Contact Dermat. 2016;75:195–204.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Paulsen E, Sogaard J, Andersen KE. Occupational dermatitis in Danish gardeners and greenhouse workers (III). Contact Dermat. 1998;38:140–6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Vester L, Thyssen J, Menne T. Consequences of occupational food-related hand dermatoses with a focus on protein contact dermatitis. Contact Dermat. 2012;67:328–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Cummings AJ, Olsen M. Mechanism of action of stinging nettles. Wilderness Environ Med. 2011;22:136–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Anderson BE, Miller CJ, Adams DR. Stinging nettle dermatitis. Am J Contact Dermatol. 2003;4:44–6.

    Google Scholar 

  21. USDA, NRCS. 2019. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.goc, 9 April 2019). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.

  22. Ballmer-Weber BK, Hoffmann A, Wuthrich B, et al. Influence of food processing on the allergenicity of celery: DBPCFC with celery spice and cooked celery in patients with celery allergy. Allergy. 2002;57:228–35.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Bohle B, Zwolfer B, Heratizadeh A, et al. Cooking birch pollen-related food: divergent consequences of IgE- and T cell-mediated reactivity in vitro and in vivo. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2006;118:242–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Sanchez MC, Hernandez M, Morena V, et al. Inmunologic contact urticaria caused by asparagus. Contact Dermat. 1997;37:181–2.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Weltfriend S, Kwangsukstith C, Maibach H. Contact urticaria from cucumber pickle and strawberry. Contact Dermat. 1995;32:173–4.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Barboud A, Poreux C, Penven E, Waton J. Occupational protein contact dermatitis. Eur J Dermatol. 2015;25:527–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Heloskoski E, Suojalehto H, Kuuliala O, et al. Occupational contact urticaria and protein contact dermatitis: causes and concomitant airway diseases. Contact Dermat. 2017;77:390–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Assarian Z, Nixon RL. Protein contact dermatitis caused by lime in a pastry chef. Contact Dermat. 2015;73:54–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Price A, Ramachandran S, Smith G, et al. Oral allergy syndrome (Pollen- Food Allergy Syndrome). Dermatitis. 2015;26(2):78–88.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Flores E, Cervera L, Sanz ML, et al. Plant food allergy in patients with pollinosis from the Mediterranean area. Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2012;159(4):346–54.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Ballmer-Weber BK, Vieths S, Luttkopf D, et al. Celery allergy confirmed by double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge: a clinical study in 32 subjects with a history of adverse reaction to celery root. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2000;106:373–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Hansen KS, Ballmer-weber BK, Luttkopf D, et al. Roasted hazelnuts- allergenic activity evaluated by double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge. Allergy. 2003;58:132–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Fu HY, Chen JS, Chen FR, et al. Why do nettles sting? About stinging hairs looking simple but acting complex. Funct Plant Sci Biotechnol. 2007;1:45–55.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Ballero M, Piu G, Appendino G. Immediate urticaria to Euphorbiaceae. Allergy. 1999;54:91–2.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Schmitt C, Parola P, Haro L. Painful sting after exposure to dendrocnide sp: two case reports. Wilderness Environ Med. 2013;24:471–3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Lindsey D, Lindsey WE. Cactus spine injuries. Am J Emerg Med. 1988;6:362–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wyatt J. Andrasik .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Jhorar, P., Andrasik, W.J. (2020). Plant-Induced Urticaria. In: Trevino, J., Chen, AY. (eds) Dermatological Manual of Outdoor Hazards. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37782-3_2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37782-3_2

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-37781-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-37782-3

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics