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Pupillometric assessment of autonomic nervous system in children with allergic rhinitis
Mustafa Ozsutcu1, Emin Ozkaya, Aysegul Demir
1Department of Ophthalmology, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Insights
Children with allergic rhinitis exhibit smaller pupil sizes, suggesting autonomic nervous system imbalances. This finding in pediatric allergic rhinitis may indicate parasympathetic hyperactivity and sympathetic hypoactivity.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatrics
- Allergology
- Autonomic Neuroscience
Background:
- Allergic rhinitis is a common condition in children.
- Autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction can manifest in various ways.
- Pupil size is influenced by ANS activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate potential ANS dysfunction in pediatric patients diagnosed with allergic rhinitis.
- To compare pupil sizes between children with and without allergic rhinitis.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 60 children with allergic rhinitis and 60 age/gender-matched controls.
- Allergic rhinitis diagnosis confirmed by history, physical examination, and skin prick tests.
- Pupil diameter measurements obtained using a NIDEK OPD-Scan pupillometer under photopic and mesopic conditions.
Main Results:
- Children with allergic rhinitis had significantly smaller mean photopic (3.52 ± 0.07 mm) and mesopic (5.98 ± 0.21 mm) pupil diameters compared to controls (4.03 ± 0.18 mm and 6.55 ± 0.16 mm, respectively).
- The differences in pupil diameter between the groups were statistically significant (p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
- Pediatric patients with allergic rhinitis demonstrate reduced pupil size in response to light stimuli.
- This finding suggests a potential link between allergic rhinitis and ANS alterations, possibly indicating parasympathetic hyperactivity and sympathetic hypoactivity.
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to investigate autonomic nervous system dysfunction by measuring pupil sizes in pediatric patients with allergic rhinitis.
Subjects And Methods:
The study group consisted of 60 children (28 girls and 32 boys) who were age and gender matched with the control group, which also consisted of 60 children (26 girls and 34 boys). The diagnosis of allergic rhinitis was based on the history, physical examination and skin prick test performed by an allergologist. Pupil diameter measurements were performed using the pupillometer incorporated in the NİDEK OPD-Scan.
Results:
In the allergic rhinitis group, mean photopic and mesopic pupil diameters were 3.52 ± 0.07 and 5.98 ± 0.21, respectively, while in the control group, corresponding measurements were 4.03 ± 0.18 and 6.55 ± 0.16. There was a significant difference for photopic and mesopic pupil diameter between the groups (p < 0.001).
Conclusion:
This study showed that the pupil size in response to a light stimulus in children with allergic rhinitis was smaller than that of the control group and may indicate parasympathetic hyperactivity and sympathetic hypoactivity.
