Olive fruit allergy in a woman with olive pollen allergy
What it found
A 48-year-old woman developed itching in the roof of her mouth and widespread hives after eating olive fruit.
She had been diagnosed with olive pollen allergy 5 years earlier.
What they found
Studies in people
Symptoms after eating olive
The woman had itching in the roof of her mouth and widespread hives after taking in olive fruit. She had no history of other food allergy or hives.
Allergy tests positive
Her prick-test was positive for olive pollen, and her olive pollen specific IgE was positive.
Olive fruit vs olive oil
The oral provocation test was positive for olives and negative for olive oil.
Diagnosis accepted
The diagnosis of "pollen-food olive-olive syndrome" was accepted.
No other fruit allergies
The woman developed olive fruit allergy while having olive pollen allergy, but did not have allergic symptoms to fruits other than olive.
What the authors conclude
“In spite its rarity this syndrome should be evoke particularly in our country.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say that in spite of its rarity this syndrome should be evoked particularly in their country.
How it was done
The pollen-food syndrome is rare and hard to diagnose. The authors wanted to report a rare case, the fourth reported in the literature.
They described a 48-year-old woman who had palatal itching and generalized urticaria after eating olive fruit, 5 years after being diagnosed with olive pollinosis. She had prick-tests, a specific IgE test for olive pollen, and an oral provocation test for olives and olive oil.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This is a single case report, so it cannot show how common this syndrome is or whether it happens the same way in other people.
- It cannot show what causes the allergy or how to prevent it.
The paper
- Title
- The Pollen-Food Olive-Olive Syndrome
- Type
- Case report
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Racil H, Loukil M, Ferah Y, et al (2015). The Pollen-Food Olive-Olive Syndrome. La Tunisie medicale.PubMed 26578052
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error