Anaphylactic reaction to oral prednisone: a case report and review of the literature.

Reports of corticosteroid anaphylactic reactions are rare in the medical literature. We describe the case of a nonatopic 17-year-old girl with bronchial asthma and aspirin intolerance who developed a dramatic anaphylactic reaction to oral prednisone. She recovered with shock therapy and intravenous administration of diphenhydramine and hydrocortisone. Intradermal testing with a wide range of steroid preparations gave positive results to prednisone. No reactions occurred to methylprednisolone and hydrocortisone. This case and the brief review of the literature which follows emphasize the danger of prednisone administration in patients who have asthma and a history of drug intolerance.