Cashew nut allergy

The cashew nut is the fruit of Anacardium occidentale, a tree belonging to the Anacardiaceae family, like the pistachio and mango trees (Bois, 1996). COnsumption of cashew nuts has risen steadily in recent decades, as attested by the marked increase in worldwide production (http://faostat3.fao.org/ home /E). Cashew nut allergy is an emerging disease; it is generally severe and may be fatal (Van der Valk et al., 2014). In Europe, cashew nuts are the fourth leading cause Of anaphylaxis amongst food allergens (Grabenhenrich et al., 2016). Diagnosis is currently based upon precise questioning to screen for an evocative clinical history, upon skin tests, and upon assay of allergen-specific immunoglobulin E. Treatment involves withdrawal of cashew nuts but also pistachio nuts (Van der Valk et al., 2014). The purpose of this study is to summarise current knowledge about cashew nut allergy, including botanical data, epidemiological data, the clinical characteristics of allergic populations, cross-reactivity, diagnostic criteria, and current and emerging treatment methods. (C) 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.