Structural modeling of differential diagnosis, treatment, and results for allergic rhinitis

This paper analyzed the relationship among the differential diagnosis, treatment, and results for allergic rhinitis using the covariance structural model. The data were collected from 274 patients with suspected allergic rhinitis who visited the Otorlaryngology Department of the Paik Hospital during 1991-1993. After each patient's characteristics was categorized and combined into several common factors, covariance structure analysis was performed to analyze the structural relationships among the differential diagnosis, treatment, and results of treatment using the significant factors obtained from discriminant analysis. The significant characteristics influenced the diagnosis were the results of skin test from mite/animal, and from mugworts, the results from laboratory tests, rhinorrhea and sneezing, and nasal polyps. The significant characteristics that influenced the method of treatment were: nasal polyps, headache/general symptom, family history/medication, and septal deviation. Headache/general symptom was the only significantly influencing factor for the treatment results.