Rhinitis and its association with asthma in patients under 14 years of age treated in allergy departments in Spain.

BACKGROUND Allergic rhinitis is the most frequent chronic allergic disease in children, and may be an important risk factor for the subsequent development of asthma. OBJECTIVE To describe the characteristics of patients younger than 14 years of age presenting with rhinitis and the possible association with asthma. METHODS We carried out a prospective, observational, descriptive, cross-sectional epidemiologic study (Alergológica 2005) of 917 patients under the age of 14 consulting for the first time in allergy departments in Spain. RESULTS Rhinitis was diagnosed in 42.5% of the children. The association between asthma and rhinitis was significantly higher in children than in adults (44.9% vs 35.5%; P<.05). Time from onset of rhinitis was significantly associated with the development of asthma (2.97 vs 2.06 years; P<.0001). Allergy was the most frequent cause of rhinitis in children with and without asthma. Allergy to epithelia and fungi was more frequent in children with rhinitis and asthma than in children with rhinitis alone. We found no differences in the frequency of treatment with immunotherapy between children with and without asthma. CONCLUSION Rhinitis was frequently associated with asthma in children consulting for the first time at allergy departments. Time since onset of rhinitis and sensitivity to epithelia and fungi were associated with the development of asthma.