Characteristics of Ear, Nose, and Throat Comorbidities among Children with Allergic Rhinitis

TL;DR

This study examines ENT comorbidities in children with allergic rhinitis, finding that tonsillar hypertrophy is most common and linked to disease severity.

Contribution

The study identifies the prevalence and severity associations of ENT comorbidities in children with allergic rhinitis.

Findings

Tonsillar hypertrophy was most prevalent (41%) and strongly associated with AR severity.

Adenoid hypertrophy was more common in children with mild intermittent AR.

Otitis media with effusion was more frequent in suburban children compared to urban ones.

Abstract

Children with allergic rhinitis (AR) may develop comorbidities due to chronic inflammation affecting other systems. Surveillance, early detection, and prompt treatment are essential in managing these conditions.

To investigate the prevalence and associated characteristics of ear, nose, and throat (ENT) disorders, particularly adenoid hypertrophy (AH), tonsillar hypertrophy (TH), otitis media with effusion (OME), and rhinosinusitis (RS) in children with AR. Also, to assess potential risk factors associated with these comorbidities.

A total of 100 children aged 2 to 14 years with AR were enrolled. All patients underwent history taking, physical examination, and lateral skull X-ray processes by a pediatric otorhinolaryngologist.

There was a significantly higher incidence of TH in patients with moderate-to-severe persistent AR (54.5%) compared with those with mild intermittent AR (17.2%;
p
 = 0.006). Furthermore, AH was observed in 51.7% of children with mild intermittent AR, significantly more than in other severity groups (
p
 = 0.037). The prevalence of TH, AH, OME, and RS was 41, 39, 8, and 1%, respectively. Additionally, OME was more common in suburban residents (14.3%) than in urban dwellers (2%;
p
 = 0.029). The most common aeroallergen was the house dust mite
Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus
(89%).

The most common ENT comorbidity in AR children is TH, being related substantially to the level of severity. The most prevalent aeroallergen was found to be house dust mite. The pattern of association between AR and ENT comorbidities highlights the essence of our research findings.

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