Association of Allergic Rhinitis and Sinusitis with Childhood Asthma.

OBJECTIVE To study the point prevalence of allergic rhinitis and sinusitis in childhood asthma and to examine the relationship among them. METHODS In 250 children (age <13 y) with mild-to-moderte asthma, allergic rhinitis was diagnosed by clinical plus nasal eosinophilia criteria, and sinusitis was diagnosed clinically plus confirmation by computerized tomography scan. RESULTS The point prevalence of allergic rhinitis was 13.6%, and of sinusitis was 2%. On multivariate analysis, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, and family history were significantly associated with asthma severity. CONCLUSION Allergic rhinitis is common in childhood asthama, but sinusitis is rare.