抄録
A clinical study was carried out on 93 patients with nasal allergic symptoms from birch pollen (birch pollinosis). It is well known that patients with birch pollen nasal allergy frequently have oral symptoms after fruit and vegetable ingestion, which has been termed oral allergy syndrome (OAS). Recently, the number of OAS patients has been gradually increasing in Hokkaido Prefecture. In this study, we have focused on the relationship between birch pollen nasal allergy and laryngeal allergy, especially the difference between the patients with and without OAS.
The clinical symptoms of seasonal rhinitis and the presence of the specific anti-birch IgE antibody confirmed the diagnosis by CAP-RAST testing. Oral hypersensitivity to fruits and vegetables was examined by means of interviews and questionnaires. We also examined the symptoms related to laryngeal allergy according to the criteria proposed by the Society of Study for Laryngeal Allergy in Japan (1995).
It was found that the birch pollinosis patients with OAS complained of foreign-body sensations in the larynx more frequently than those without OAS. About 60% of the birch pollinosis patients were diagnosed as having laryngeal allergy.
Twelve out of 35 (34%) birch pollinosis patients without OAS and 42 out of 58 (72%) patients with OAS were diagnosed as having laryngeal allergy. It is considered clinically important to establish criteria for laryngeal allergy and OAS.
