Abstract
Acoustic rhinometry (AR) was used to assess nasal airway patency before and after nasal allergen challenge and was compared with anterior rhinomanometry and visual analog scale. Twelve medical students who had been diagnosed as having allergic rhinitis by skin tests or IgE RAST and nasal eosinophilia underwent nasal challenges with serialtenfold dilution starting from 105 to 102 of commercial allergen extracts for skin testing. Responses were assessed by measuring (a) the minimum crosssectional area (A-min) and volume (VOL) in nasal cavity using acoustic rhinometry, (b) nasal airway resistance in expiration using anterior rhinomanometry (RM) and (c) subjective nasal congestion using visual analog scale (VAS).
After challenge, AR and RM showed a significant change compared with that measured before challenge. AR appears to be superior to clinical symptoms in quantifying the response to nasal allergen challenge.
