The aspects of local allergic rhinitis in Polish children and adolescents.

INTRODUCTION

Local allergic rhinitis (LAR) is one of the endotypes of rhinitis which occurs commonly in different age groups.

AIM: To present the occurrence and characteristics of LAR in Polish children and adolescents.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

In the study protocol, three hundred sixty-one patients aged 5-17 with chronic rhinitis were included from 8 centres in Poland. Medical history and diagnostic procedures were performed with aeroallergens: skin prick tests, allergen-specific serum IgE and nasal provocation tests. In addition to LAR, allergic rhinitis (AR), dual allergic rhinitis (DUAL) and non-allergic rhinitis (NAR) were explored and compared.

RESULTS

LAR was confirmed in 21% of patients, systemic allergic rhinitis (SAR) in 43.9%, DUAL in 9.4% and NAR in 33.9% of patients. Based on nasal provocation test (NPT), allergy to HDM prevailed in the LAR group (68%), grass in the SAR group (58%), and grass and HDM in the DUAL group (32% and 64%). Girls were prevalent in the LAR group, and severe rhinitis and asthma were more common than other endotypes (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

LAR is a common disease in children and adolescents and is often associated with severe rhinitis and frequently coexists with asthma.