[Rare etiologies of asthma--bibliographic review]

To understand the rare causes of asthma can only diminish the group of intrinsic asthma. The rare etiologies that are cited in this article are not exhaustive. We recall successively from the pneumoallergens, the rare domestic etiologies as well as the work-induced allergies that pose an interesting physiopathological problem. We state that asthma = pneumoallergens is not a valid equation and that, confronted by an asthmatic patient, the etiological enquiry should not be limited to pneumoallergens. In effect we cite work that concerns food allergies, asthma due to preservatives and various food additives, asthma due to dermatophytes and finally an exceptional case of asthma due to seminal fluid.