Objective Evaluation of the Color of the Inferior Turbinate in Cases of Japanese Cedar Pollinosis

A Search for Possible Preseasonal Index of the Severity of the Disease

抄録

Objective: The purpose of this study was to predict the severity of symptoms in patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis based on the change in color of the inferior turbinate before the development of symptoms. Materials and Methods: In 189 patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis, the color of the inferior turbinate was assessed more than 1 month before, immediately before and during the pollen-scattering season. The severity of the disease was classified according to the Practical Guideline for the Management of Allergic Rhinitis in Japan, 2005. The color was assessed using the XYZ colorimetric reference system. Statistical analysis was performed with a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: The color of the inferior turbinate mucosa differed significantly depending on the severity of symptoms and time of measurement, and was determined by an interaction between the two. The red color element of the inferior turbinate became deeper before the pollen-scattering season in those patients who subsequently developed severe symptoms as compared with those with moderate or mild symptoms. Conclusion: The severity of the pollinosis can be predicted based on the color of the inferior turbinate before the start of the pollen-scattering season. Those patients in whom the red color element of the inferior turbinate became deeper before the onset of the pollen-scattering season are likely to develop severe pollinosis.