[Chronic cough in pediatrics]

The objective has been to identify the different etiologies and elaborate a diagnostic and therapeutical methodology for patients with chronic cough. During one year we studied prospectively 83 patients with persistent cough of daily appearance with an evolution of four or more weeks and no previous etiologic diagnosis. We worked on three diagnostic (D) levels. D1: Based on the anamnesis and physical examination. D2: Sequential incorporation of complementary exams. D3: Evaluation of the response to the specific treatment. We divided the population into 2 groups: G1 healthy children, G2 children followed in our hospital for different conditions. The mean age was 4.7 years (range, 3 months to 15 years), and the average duration of cough was 4.9 months (range, 1 to 36 months). In G1 the following causes were identified in 78 children: cough variant asthma 41 (52%), asthma+upper respiratory tract infections 8 (10%), asthma+lower respiratory tract infections 6 (7%), postnasal drip syndrome (sinusitis, adenoiditis) 5 (6%), psychogenic 6 (7%), undetermined 4 (5%), gastroesophageal reflux 2, asthma+cigarette 2, AIDS 1, Sjogren syndrome 1, vascular ring 1, cricopharyngeal foreign body 1. In G2 out of 5 children we have found: 2 children with chronic encephalopathies who had swallowing disorders and gastroesophageal reflux, 1 patient with Down syndrome presenting hypogammaglobulinemia and bronchiectasis, 1 tracheaesophageal fistula in H in a child with recurrent pneumonia, 1 lymphocytic pneumonia in an AIDS patient. The D1 was correct in 92% of the cases. The specific therapy has proved useful for achieving the remission of the symptoms. Although asthma is the most frequent cause of chronic cough, other etiologies exist and must be ruled out.