Asthma in children and ASA intolerance.
Intolerance to acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) in asthmatics has been widely studied in the adult population, and to a lesser extent in children. In the present study, we present 16 asthmatics between the ages of 2 and 14 suffering from asthma induced by ASA ingestion, and the clinical characteristics are compared with a population of asthmatic children with a negative challenge test. The following results were obtained: 1) in contrast to in adults, females are not predisposed to ASA intolerance in childhood, the male:female ratio being the usual 2:1 in infantile asthma; 2) ASA intolerance can appear at a very early age (in our series the youngest was 1 year old); 3) extrinsic asthmatics are the most commonly affected, and also children with exercise-induced asthma; 4) in extrinsic asthmatics with asthma attacks precipitated by ASA, sinusitis is more frequent than in extrinsic asthmatics with ASA tolerance; 5) polyposis is exceptional; 6) the presence of associated urticaria is frequent, and much greater than in adult ASA-intolerant asthmatics; and 7) the results of the challenge with NSAIDs are similar to those obtained in adult patients, which would indicate a common pathophysiological mechanism related to the capacity of these drugs to inhibit cyclooxygenase activity.
Estrada Rodríguez
J L
JL
Hospital La Paz, Madrid, Spain.
Florido López
J F
JF
Belchi Hernández
J
J
Martín Muñoz
F
F
Díaz Pena
J M
JM
García Ara
M C
MC
Sastre Domínguez
J
J
Ojeda Casas
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000799:Angioedema / Q000139:chemically induced; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000009:adverse effects; D001241:Aspirin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001249:Asthma / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000150:complications; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009298:Nasal Polyps / Q000453:epidemiology; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000453:epidemiology; D014581:Urticaria / Q000139:chemically induced
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D001241:Aspirin