Non-asthmatic respiratory symptomatology

Area of Science:

• Pulmonology
• Internal Medicine
• Allergy and Immunology

Background:

• Asthma is a common respiratory condition with significant public health attention.
• Misdiagnosis of asthma can result in inappropriate and potentially harmful treatments, including systemic corticosteroids.
• Several conditions share symptoms with asthma, necessitating a broader differential diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review diseases that present similarly to asthma.
• To highlight the importance of considering alternative diagnoses beyond the tracheobronchial tree.
• To discuss newly identified and established conditions that may be mistaken for asthma.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of conditions mimicking asthma.
• Discussion of both tracheobronchial and extrapulmonary disorders.
• Inclusion of newly described entities and updated information on established diseases.

Main Results:

• Identified conditions originating in the tracheobronchial tree and extrapulmonary sites (e.g., gastrointestinal tract).
• Highlighted newly described entities like irritant vocal cord dysfunction and exercise-induced hyperventilation syndrome.
• Included updated information on well-established diseases such as Churg-Strauss syndrome and sarcoidosis.

Conclusions:

• Accurate diagnosis is crucial to avoid inappropriate treatments for asthma-like symptoms.
• Considering a wide range of differential diagnoses, including extrapulmonary conditions, is essential.
• Awareness of conditions like vocal cord dysfunction, hyperventilation syndrome, Churg-Strauss, and sarcoidosis can improve patient outcomes.