Abstract:

Background:Specific allergy immunotherapy traditionally has been thought of as subcutaneous injection. There also are noninjection routes for the administration of immunotherapy. The best know and studied of these noninjection routes is the sublingual route, usually known as sublingual immunotherapy. Sublingual immunotherapy has been in use for many decades; however, to this date, it is not well known to the majority of allergy practitioners in this country. The purpose of this study is to help change this perception so that sublingual immunotherapy eventually can be considered one more tool in the allergist's armamentarium.

METHODS: A literature review was performed. It included articles from the early American clinicians and present publications that are mostly of European origin.

RESULTS: It will become clear to the reader that the key features of sublingual immunotherapy are its efficacy, great safety, and simplicity of administration.

CONCLUSION: Sublingual immunotherapy is a safe treatment modality that should be considered as a useful additional tool in the therapeutic armentarium.