Allergy shots provided significant benefits to the eczema symptoms of a 48-year-old man, according to challenging case presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting in Seattle.

“The man had suffered with severe eczema since childhood,” says Lewisville, Texas-based allergist Anil Nanda, MD the lead author of the paper. “He had tried many previous therapies for years including mild and high strength topical corticosteroid cream, as well as other topical anti-inflammatory creams and topical moisturizer creams. Biologic therapy has been available to treat eczema for about a year and-a-half but was not yet a treatment option at the time we saw this man. We thought allergy shots might be beneficial because he also had multiple allergies.”

Researchers conducted skin testing and found the man was allergic to dust mites, weeds, trees, grasses, mold, cats and dogs. “Because his allergies could all be treated with allergy shots, we thought treating his allergies might also benefit his eczema. After one year, he reported significant benefit to his symptoms, which was great news. And once he reached a maintenance dose of allergy shots, he no longer needed high dose steroid therapy for his eczema,” adds study co-author Anita Wasan, MD, an allergist in Mc Lean, VA.