[Chronicle of an announced death: the end of intrinsic asthma]

The word "intrinsic" asthma which is not usually quoted by French authors should be eliminated from the medical vocabulary. Similar past history, clinical symptoms, house or occupational exposure are found in all varieties of asthma. Histological features are the same in atopic asthma and late onset asthma, apparently non allergic. On immunologic point of view there are two types of IgE receptors type I on mastocytes, type II on inflammatory cells, with immunomodulation by IL4 and T lymphocytes. On the other hand, atopic status is an autosomic dominant inherited trait, with a gene locus on the chromosome 11 Q and may be transferred with bone marrow cells graft. Finally asthma appears to be a local variety of IgE hyperresponsiveness to environmental factors. These basic notions have practical consequences and legal aspects.