Clinical and pathological evaluation of vasomotor rhinitis

Abstract

We performed a case-control study of 38 cases of vasomotor rhinitis (VR) diagnosed at the Otorrhinolaryngology Outpatient Clinic at Hospital Universitario San Vicente de Paúl, Medellin, Colombia, between May 1987 and December 1988. These cases were proved both clinically and by laboratory evaluation and were compared to 14 controls. VR was predominant in young women aged 12 to 34 years (75%). Nasal congestion of more than one year evolution was the outstanding symptom and edematous turbinates with good vasoconstriction retraction was the predominant sign on physical examination. The tests performed (serum total lgE, Anderson’s test, pulmonary function tests, nasal metachromatic cell counts and turbinate biopsy) had no diagnostic value. One Important finding was the spirometric detection of pulmonary obstruction without clinical manifestations that was observed in 73% of the cases (p