[Nasal provocation test with lysine-aspirin in diagnosis of nonallergic rhinitis with eosinophilia].

Nonallergic rhinitis with eosinophilia is characterized by persistent nasal symptoms without allergy and by a marked eosinophil recruitment in the nasal cavities. The incidence of it is more than 15% among all types of rhinitis. A part of them is caused by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs hypersensivity. For this study 114 patients were selected on the basis of perennial rhinitis, the absence of allergy and with an eosinophil count higher than 10% of total leukocytes in nasal cytology. In all of them the nasal provocation test with lysine-aspirin was made. The clinical response was evaluated based on nasal symptoms (sneezes, itching, secretion and blockage). The nasal response was measured by acoustic rhinometry. The results of the test was positive in 19 cases, mostly in patients with nasal polyps, bronchial asthma and higher level of nasal eosinophilia (differences statistically significant). The count of nasal eosinophilia corresponded better with the decrease of nasal volume in acoustic rhinometry (r = 0,84) then with the clinical score (r = 0,52). The nasal challenge was well tolerated by almost all subjects. We conclude that the nasal challenge with lysine-aspirin is safe and can be helpful as a diagnostic test in patients with nonallergic rhinitis with eosinophilia.