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Published on: January 21, 2018
Rhinosinusitis in children and asthma severity
Ruby Pawankar1, Mario E Zernotti
1Department of Otolaryngology, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan.
Insights
Pediatric rhinosinusitis is strongly linked to severe asthma. Treating upper airway inflammation, particularly chronic rhinosinusitis, can improve asthma control and reduce its severity in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric respiratory medicine
- Immunology
Background:
- Rhinosinusitis is prevalent in children.
- Asthma and rhinosinusitis share epidemiological and pathogenic links.
- A correlation exists between sinusitis and asthma severity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between rhinosinusitis and asthma severity in children.
- To highlight new findings on the association between upper respiratory illness and severe asthma.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing epidemiological and pathogenic evidence.
- Analysis of inflammatory profiles in rhinosinusitis and asthma.
Main Results:
- Both rhinosinusitis and asthma exhibit similar inflammatory cell profiles, notably eosinophils.
- Severe childhood asthma is frequently associated with upper respiratory conditions like rhinosinusitis.
Conclusions:
- Effective treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis, whether medical or surgical, positively impacts concurrent asthma.
- Intervention for chronic rhinosinusitis can lead to a reduction in asthma severity.
Purpose Of Review:
Rhinosinusitis is a common condition in children. The association between rhinosinusitis and asthma is supported by strong epidemiological and pathogenic evidence. Moreover, a close relationship between sinusitis and asthma severity has also been reported. This study shows the new findings in this strong relationship.
Recent Findings:
The profile of inflammatory cells and inflammatory mediators seen in both conditions bears considerable similarity, especially in both diseases with a relevant role played by eosinophils.
Summary:
Severe asthma is uncommon in childhood, but there is compelling evidence showing that the most severe asthma is closely associated to upper respiratory illness, especially rhinosinusitis. Treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis, medical or surgical or both, benefits concomitant asthma and has been shown to reduce the severity of asthma.
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