Food additives intolerance: does it present as perennial rhinitis?
OBJECTIVE
A case report published in 2001 raised the possibility that some patients with long-lasting 'nonallergic' perennial rhinitis might in effect have food additives intolerance. The recent literature published in English was reviewed to find controlled studies able to confirm this observation.


RESULTS
Two double-blind, placebo-controlled studies published between August 2002 and July 2003 confirmed the above observation. The prevalence of additives intolerance among individuals with 'nonallergic' perennial rhinitis is about 5%. The pathogenic mechanisms involved remain unclear.


CONCLUSIONS
Intolerance to food additives may sometimes present as perennial rhinitis. Clinicians should consider this possibility before they definitively dismiss patients as 'nonallergic'.
Asero
Riccardo
R
Head of the Allergy Unit, San Carlo Clinic, Paderno Dugnano (MI), Italy. r.asero@libero.it
D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005503:Food Additives / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology
D005503:Food Additives