Nasal endoscopy in children with suspected allergic rhinitis.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Ear, nose, and throat assessment may be frequently requested for children with allergic rhinitis (AR). Nasal endoscopy allows a thorough evaluation of the nose. The aim of the study was to investigate whether there are endoscopic signs predictive for AR diagnosis in a cohort of children with suspected AR.

STUDY DESIGN: Cohort of observational study.

METHODS: There were 176 children (99 males; mean age, 7.5 years) studied. Clinical visit, nasal endoscopy, and skin prick test were performed in all patients. Nasal endoscopic signs were pale turbinates, middle turbinate contact, and inferior turbinate contact. The AR diagnosis was made when nasal symptom history was concordant with sensitization.

RESULTS: AR was diagnosed in 141 children. Inferior and middle turbinate contact were reliable predictive factors for AR (odds ratio 5.38 and 3.42, respectively), whereas pale turbinates did not predict it.

CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that nasal endoscopy may reveal signs predictive for AR diagnosis in children.