Shiitake dermatitis in a 5-year old boy: First pediatric case report

Abstract

Shiitake mushrooms are increasingly being consumed in the West because of their possible health benefits and changing dietarypreferences. A rare but increasingly occurring undesired effect caused by the thermolabile polysaccharide lentinan in the Shiitakemushroom is the incidence of a particular toxic dermatitis called flagellate dermatitis or Shiitake dermatitis. This dermatitis isextremely pruritous, heals without scarring in one to eight weeks and the effect of treatment is doubtful. The pathogenesis has notbeen completely explained and it is unclear why some people react more than others. We here present what we believe to be thefirst pediatric case of Shiitake dermatitis in a 5-year-old boy.