The clinical symptoms of laryngeal allergy are persistent cough, itching and irritation of throat. A clinical study focused on the diagnosis of laryngeal allergy was carried on 159 patients with nasal allergic symptoms from birch pollen (birch pollinosis). The diagnosis of birch pollinosis was confirmed by the clinical symptoms of seasonal rhinitis along with the presence of the specific anti-birch IgE antibody by CAP-RAST testing. Laryngeal allergy was diagnosed according to the criteria proposed by the Society of Study for Laryngeal Allergy in Japan (2005). Eighty-eight out of 159 (55.3%) birch pollinosis patients were diagnosed as having laryngeal allergy. Laryngeal allergy patients suffer from seasonal pharyngolaryngeal symptoms, such as persistent coughing (40.2%) and foreign-body sensation in the larynx (100%). It is well known that patients with birch pollinosis frequently have oral symptoms after fruit and vegetable ingestion, which has been termed oral allergy syndrome (OAS). Forty-eight out of 88 (54.5%) birch pollinosis patients with laryngeal allergy and 40 out of 71 (56.4%) patients without laryngeal allergy were diagnosed as OAS. It is considered that the new criteria would be effective for the diagnosis of laryngeal allergy for patients with birch pollinosis.
