title: The diagnosis of allergic rhinitis: how to combine the medical history with the results of radioallergosorbent tests and skin prick tests.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify the most useful combinations of symptoms and the results of radioallergosorbent tests (RASTs) and skin prick tests (SPTs) for the diagnosis of allergic rhinitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective comparison was made of symptoms and the results of RASTs and SPTs with 7 different nasal allergies; the references used were the "consensus diagnoses" provided by 3 experts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nineteen general practices in The Netherlands.
  
  
  METHODS
  365 consecutive patients aged 12 or over who visited their general practitioner because of chronic or recurrent nasal symptoms between 1 March 1990 and 1 March 1991.
  
  
  METHODS
  The most useful combinations of items from the history, RASTs, and SPTs, for the diagnosis of 7 different nasal allergies; the predictive probabilities of these combinations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Diagnostic criteria could be drawn up resulting in a near-perfect discrimination between patients diagnosed as having allergic rhinitis and patients diagnosed as not having allergic rhinitis. Most of these criteria combined only a single item from the history with either RAST or SPT. For nearly all nasal allergies, both the negative predictive probabilities and the positive predictive probabilities were 97% or more.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The common nasal allergies can be diagnosed with a very high certainty with the aid of simple diagnostic criteria. Data from a strictly limited case history combined with either RAST or SPT are sufficient.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, Leiden University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Crobach
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hermans
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Kaptein
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ridderikhoff
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Petri
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Mulder
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007428:Intradermal Tests; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012372:ROC Curve; D011852:Radioallergosorbent Test; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000175:diagnosis*