Figure 1.

Comparison of traditional allergy diagnosis and microarray-aided allergy diagnosis. In traditional allergy diagnosis (left part) an anamnesis of allergic symptoms is recorded which serves as the basis for targeted provocation testing, usually skin testing with a limited number of allergen extracts selected according to the anamnesis and eventually collection of a serum sample for measuring IgE specific for the suspected allergen sources. In the best case, the patient receives first treatment suggestions according to skin test results. Usually at least one, but often several additional visits are necessary to adjust the treatment to the IgE test results and/or to conduct further targeted testing to determine more precisely the patients sensitization profile and to further adjust treatment. Regarding microarray-aided allergy diagnosis (right part), it can be envisioned that the first visit can be conducted even in a virtual, telemedicine-like form because no provocation testing is required. The anamnesis and complete molecular IgE reactivity profile would be available to the specialist online who could then prescribe precise treatment taking clinical information and the complete sensitization profile into consideration.