Allergy

The Allergic Disease program at Boston Medical Center provides multidisciplinary diagnostic evaluations and tailored therapeutic plans for patients with allergic and nonallergic rhinitis, food and drug allergy, atopic dermatitis and allergic contact dermatitis, urticaria, angioedema, anaphylaxis and immunodeficiency. Our mission is to improve the lives of patients living with allergies by providing state-of-the-art patient care, to provide a resource for referring physicians, to study outcomes of allergen reduction interventions, and to educate trainees in Allergy and Immunology.

The staff includes physicians certified by the American Board of Allergy and Immunology and in Pulmonary Diseases (ABIM). The team also includes physicians who specialize in asthma care and nurses who are trained to provide allergen avoidance education, perform allergy skin testing, administer allergy immunotherapy (allergy shots), and tailor management with anti-IgE or other recently approved biologics.

Patients have an initial meeting with an allergy specialist to review their medical history, results of previous allergy/immunology testing, if any, and physical examination. Further testing frequently includes allergy skin testing (prick or patch testing), blood tests, and sinus computed tomography.

  • Diagnosis and management of seasonal and perennial nasal and ocular symptoms due to allergies, nasal polyps, vasomotor rhinitis, and chronic sinusitis.
    • Inhalant allergen skin testing
    • Specific immunotherapy (SIT – ‘allergy shots’)
    • Sinus computed tomography
  • Evaluation and treatment of patients with stinging insect (Hymenoptera) venom anaphylaxis
    • Venom skin testing
    • Venom specific immunotherapy
  • Evaluation and treatment of drug, food and idiopathic anaphylaxis as well as hereditary angioedema
    • ImmunoCAP (blood) testing for food allergy
    • Comprehensive testing (patch testing) for allergic and irritant contact dermatitis (e.g. metals)
    • Skin testing to certain medications, as indicated
    • Drug desensitization (including aspirin for aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD)):
    • Evaluation of complement dysfunction-mediated angioedema
  • Evaluation and treatment of chronic urticaria and angioedema
  • Evaluation and treatment of primary immunodeficiency
  • Evaluation of allergic asthma triggers
  • Treatment with anti-IgE (Xolair) or other more recently approved biologics (e.g. Dupixent, Fasenra, Nucala).

Our inpatient Allergy/Immunology Consult Service provides consultative services for inpatients with specific allergic problems that require more immediate attention.

Faculty with clinical and/or research specialty in Allergy:

David Center, MD
John Bernardo, MD
Miren Guenechea-Sola, MD
Praveen Govender, MD
Paul Maglione MD
Frederic Little, MD
George O’Connor, MD

For Patients:

To schedule a clinic visit or refer a patient, please contact us at:

Shapiro Center
725 Albany St., Suite 9B
Boston, MA 02118
Phone 617-638-7480
Fax 617-638-7486