Baseline laryngeal effects among individuals with dust mite allergy

To examine baseline effects of perennial allergy on laryngeal appearance, laryngeal function, and perceived vocal handicap among individuals without current allergy or voice symptoms.

This pilot study included 47 adults: 21 with positive and 26 with negative skin test responses for the dust mite, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus.

Subjects were tested for sensitivity to dust mite antigen by prick testing. Laryngeal appearance and function were studied with laryngovideostroboscopy, acoustic and speech aerodynamic analysis, and voice sampling. These parameters were blindly analyzed by three trained examiners. Subjects also completed the Voice Handicap Index (VHI) as a measure of vocal handicap.

Subjects allergic to dust mites perceived significantly greater vocal handicap on the VHI than did nonallergic subjects. No significant differences were noted between groups in laryngeal appearance or function.

These pilot data suggest that, at baseline, allergic individuals perceive greater vocal handicap than their nonallergic counterparts (P = 0.04), even in the absence of current allergy symptoms or observable physical or functional abnormalities. These preliminary observations can serve as an impetus for further research into this important area, including the potential interrelationship between acid reflux disease and allergic laryngeal inflammation.