- Title:
- Sensitization to common aeroallergens in patients at an outpatient ENT clinic
- Authors:
- T. D. Nyembue , A.-S. Vinck , K. Corvers , L. Bruninx , P. W. Hellings and M. Jorissen
- Institutions:
- U niversity hospital of Kinshasa ENT Department Kinshasa/RD of Congo; U niversity hospital of Leuven, Department
3
of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium; Laboratory of experimen-
tal immunology KUL/Belgium
- Keywords:
- Aeroallergens; outpatients; rhinologic diseases; sensitization
- Pages:
- 79 - 85
- Abstract:
- Sensitization to common aeroallergens in patients at an outpatient ENT clinic. Objectives: The epidemiology
of specific sensitization to inhalant allergens remains unknown in patients at tertiary rhinology clinics. We used skin
prick testing (SPT) to assess sensitization to major aeroallergens in order to evaluate the prevalence of specific rhinologic
diseases, the frequency of polysensitization and the relationship between nasal symptoms, nasal endoscopy parameters,
diagnosis and sensitization.
Methods: A retrospective review of medical records was conducted at the ENT Department of the Catholic University
Hospital in Leuven, Belgium. The study analyzed the medical data of patients with rhinologic symptoms suspected of
having allergies.
Results: The study included 1326 patients with a mean age of 35 ± 18 years (range: 3-88 years); 52.8% were males.
Rhinitis without nasal abnormalities (42.1%), chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps (16.5%) and nasal abnormalities
(16.1%) were the most prevalent findings. About 31.6% of patients were sensitive to at least one allergen, and the most
common aeroallergens were dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (62.1%) and grass pollen (53.2%). Polysensitization was
found in 54.2%. The most prevalent clinical symptoms in allergic rhinitis patients were nasal obstruction, clear/watery
nasal discharge, sneezing, postnasal drip and headache. Clear nasal discharge, sneezing, and itchy nose and eyes (p<0.05
for all) were significantly higher in sensitized patients. In contrast, postnasal drip, headache and purulent nasal discharge
were also observed in non-sensitized patients (p<0.05 for all).
Conclusions: At a rhinology clinic at a university ENT clinic, 31.6% of the patients had positive SPT results, mainly to
house dust mites and grass pollen. Among sensitized patients, 54.2% were polysensitized.
- Issue:
- Vol. 7, 2011, 2nd trimester
- Download:
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Sensitization to common aeroallergens in patients at an outpatient ENT clinic