URTICARIAL AND ANAPHYLACTOID REACTIONS FOLLOWING ETHANOL INTAKE

Ingestion of ethyl alcohol may be associated with a number of adverse reactions. Apart from toxicological effects, intolerance syndromes occ ur, which are caused by genetic or acquired defects in alcohol metabol ism and are manifest clinically as flushing. In addition to these abno rmalities, rare cases of generalized urticaria and anaphylactoid react ions after ingestion of ethyl alcohol have been reported, the pathogen esis of which is still a matter of debate. We describe three patients who presented with recurrent generalized urticaria, which developed wi thin minutes of consumption of small amounts of ethyl alcohol. Common causes of chronic recurrent urticaria were excluded by case history, p hysical examination and laboratory investigations, and by comprehensiv e allergy testing. All patients produced positive prick tests with ace tic acid, and developed urticaria after oral challenge with small amou nts of highly purified ethyl alcohol. The symptoms are most probably c aused by an intolerance to ethyl alcohol or its metabolites, whereas a n allergy sensu strictu seems unlikely.