title: [Does extrinsic asthma exist?].
abstract: Asthma cannot be triggered exclusively by external causes, even allergy. For it to develop, the subject must have pathological bronchial hyper-reactivity. On the contrary, however, asthma cannot be explained solely by intrinsic causes, metabolic or endocrine. It persists only in those subjects who have bronchial hyper-reactivity. The authors suggest a new definition of asthma, designed to replace the semi-logical definition of Charpin: Asthma is a dyspnoeic bronchospasmodic crisis that is linked with the existence of pathological bronchial hyper-reactivity.
authors.affiliation: Service de Pathologie Respiratoire et d'Allergologie, Hôpital du Cluzeau Chu, Limoges.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Germouty
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Eichler
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Melloni
authors.forename: F P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Savy
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology*; D001986:Bronchial Spasm / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans
vernacular_title: L'asthme extrinsèque existe-t-il?