[Reactions of the nasal mucous membrane as a consequence of allergological skin tests (author's transl)]

The nasal resistance and the temperature were measured in both nasal lumina immediately before and 20 minutes after an allergological skin test in 75 patients admitted to the allergy ward because of suspected allergic rhinitis. The measurements were carried out by means of a passive anterior rhinomanometer according to van Dishoeck and the results served as parameters of the reaction of the nasal mucous membrane. In order to secure the allergy diagnosis, the skin tests were supplemented by a carefully taken case history as well as by RIST and RAST. The 100 skin test series carried out in this investigation showed an increase in the resistance and in the temperature in most of those patients whose positive skin test result corresponded to the final diagnosis. These reactions were most pronounced in the screening tests, and were also confirmed by the herb, tree and mould tests. Furthermore, the temperature in the nasal lumen increased sooner than the resistance. Thereby it was possible to prove that in allergological skin tests the shock organ, i.e. the nasal mucous membrane in the cases discussed in this paper, shows a marked concomitant reaction if there is a manifest allergy to the allergens used in the test.