Complete resolution of airway hyperresponsiveness in aspirin-sensitive asthmatic patients

Appreciable numbers of aspirin-sensitive asthmatic patients have chronic steroid-dependent severe asthmatic symptoms. We report four cases of aspirin-sensitive asthmatics who had mild to severe asthmatic symptoms, whose methacholine PC20 level ranged from 0.6 to 22 mg/ml at the first visit. The aspirin sensitivity was confirmed by lysine-aspirin bronchoprovocation. After anti-asthmatic medications and avoidance of salicylate-containing agents, airway hyperresponsiveness and respiratory symptoms disappeared for two to 30 months. These results suggest that early detection and careful avoidance of salicylate-containing agents may have a beneficial effect resulting in the resolution of airway hyperresponsiveness in aspirin-sensitive asthmatic patients.