Allergic rhinitis (AR) in geriatric patients

Allergic rhinitis (AR) can be defined as an inflammatory disease of the nose and the paranasal sinuses, characterized by a specific IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reaction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between the symptoms of AR and the prick test results in geriatric patients presenting with symptoms of AR by comparing these with those of a young control group. Thirty-two geriatric patients (Group 1) were analyzed retrospectively, and 37 patients (Group 2) were selected as the control group. Diagnosis of AR was made based upon the physical examination findings, nasal endoscopic examination findings and the skin prick test results. While the skin prick test positivity was 50% in Group 1, this rate was found as 75.7% in Group 2. The difference was found to be statistically significant (p = 0.044). A statistically significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of susceptibility to mugwort pollen and fish (p = 0.048, p = 0.033). In conclusion, in geriatric patients presenting with AR symptoms, systemic treatment should not be initiated before performing skin prick test, due to the adverse effects of the drugs. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.