title: Is there any correlation between the results of skin-prick test and the severity of symptoms in allergic rhinitis?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was designed to determine whether there is any correlation between results of the skin-prick test and the severity of symptoms in allergic rhinitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively evaluated 150 patients with persistent or intermittent  allergic rhinitis confirmed by positive skin tests and scaled from 1 to 4 according to the size of the wheal. The symptoms including sneezing, nasal obstruction, rhinorrhea, and nasal itching were ranked according to their severity (0 for no symptoms, 1 for mild, 2 for moderate, and 3 for  severe). We investigated the correlation between the skin tests' positivity and symptoms score, rhinoconjunctivitis quality-of-life questionnaire (RQLQ), and visual analog scale (VAS) scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 150 patients, 98 had persistent and 52 had intermittent allergic  rhinitis. Some patients had multiple allergen sensitivity. Each skin test group was compared with respect to symptom scores, RQLQ, or VAS scores. There was no statistically significant correlation between the size of the wheal and symptoms score, RQLQ, or VAS scores. There was also no correlation  between the type of allergen and symptoms score.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The skin-prick test can be applied to support the diagnosis of allergic rhinitis, but one can not predict the severity of illness by stratifying the size of the skin-prick test result.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Ministry of Health, Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. ectatar@gmail.com
authors.forename: Emel Cadallı
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Tatar
authors.forename: Unzile Akpınar
authors.initials: UA
authors.lastname: Sürenoğlu
authors.forename: Güleser
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Saylam
authors.forename: Eray
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Işık
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozdek
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Korkmaz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology*; D012882:Skin Tests; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D007073:Immunoglobulin E