[Recurring croup. New clinical, pathophysiological and etiological aspects].

Three consecutive studies were concerned with clinical, pathophysiologic, and immunologic aspects of recurrent croup. The first investigation demonstrated that recurrent croup is a distinct disease entity which shares many clinical features with asthma and should be distinguished from viral laryngotracheobronchitis. In the second study a high incidence of airway hyperreactivity was found in children with recurrent croup. This specific type of hyperreactivity suggested an involvement of both the lower and the upper respiratory tract. The third study demonstrated a tendency towards low serum IgA levels in children with recurrent croup; hence immunoregulatory defects may be conductive to the development of this disorder.