Occupational allergic rhinitis and contact urticaria caused by bishop's weed (Ammi majus)

Bishop's weed (Ammi majus) has been known to induce toxic phytophotodermati tis. We now describe IgE-mediated rhinitis and contact urticaria caused by exposure to bishop's weed in a 31-year-old atopic female florist. A skin pr ick-prick test with bishop's weed flowers gave an 8-mm wheal, and the bisho p's weed-specific IgE level in the patient's serum was 9.7 PRU/ml (RAST cla ss 3). In an immunoblotting experiment with the patient's serum, nine IgE-b inding protein bands with the molecular weights 19, 34, 39-41 (doublet), 52 -61 (doublet), and >67 (triplet) kDa were detected in bishop's weed extract . The patient became symptomless after she had ceased to work as a florist.