Anaphylactic Reaction after the Ingestion of Bee Pollen

Abstract

We report a case of a 54-year-old woman with atopy who showed a severe anaphylactic reaction after the ingestion of bee pollens. A few minutes after the ingestion, generalized pruritus, urticaria, periorbital and perioral angioedema, and dyspnea developed, and thus the emergency care including subcutaneous epinephrine and intravenous methylprednisolone was performed. She suffered from seasonal allergic rhinitis for 10 years. Microscopic examination of the bee pollen ingestedshowed mostly mugwort and ragweed pollen, and several kinds of tree pollens. In vivo and in vitro studies demonstrated that the patient had allergic rhinitis sensitive to mugwort and ragweed pollens and sensitized to some tree pollens as well. This case demonstrated that a severe systemic allergic reaction could occur in a pollen-sensitized patient after the ingestion of bee pollens.