[The late evolution of bronchial asthma appearing in children]

A retrospective study was performed in order to compare the clinical evolution of chronic bronchial asthma with onset in childhood with that of bronchial asthma registered at adult age. The group included 150 cases (87 females and 63 males) out of which 108 (72%) asthma with late onset and 42 (28%) asthma symptoms registered in childhood and adolescence. The symptoms were: allergic rhinitis and spastic tracheobronchitis in 18 (42.8%), dyspneic recurrent bronchitis in 16 (38%), nasal polyposis in 4 (9.5%) and atopic dermatitis in 4 (9.5%) cases. A possible allergic etiology was not taken into consideration in these cases. According to the data obtained, it results that the evolution and the prognosis of bronchial asthma are more severe in patients with its onset in childhood, where there were noted: more severe clinical forms of the disease, higher ventilation dysfunction, more numerous social (family) consequences of the disease, and a higher necessity of long term, systemic corticotherapy than in cases of bronchial asthma with late onset. The delay in the preventive treatment or an incorrect application of it in childhood will condition to a great extent the unfavourable evolution of the disease.