[Technic and value of the carbachol nasal test in vasomotor rhinopathies].

The carbacholine nasal test assesses "nasal hyperreactivity", particularly its parasympathetic component, in vasomotor rhinopathies. This simple, reproducible test has been applied to two groups of subjects: a group of 26 healthy subjects without any rhinopharyngeal and/or allergic affections, and 10 patients with aperiodic non-allergic (6 cases) or allergic (4 cases) vasomotor rhinopathy, the 4 cases with allergy including 3 allergic to house dust mite and one to house dust mite and grass pollen. Nasal reactivity to carbacholine was evaluated by measuring the amount of rhinorrhea following variable concentrations (1/1000, 1/100, 1/25) and volumes (0,10 to 0,50 ml) of carbacholine solution. Nasal secretion was markedly increased in patients with a vasomotor rhinopathy (1.80 +/- 0.65 ml) when compared with control subjects (0.64 +/- 0.17 ml). The main conclusions to be drawn from this study, and possible applications of this test in rhinology are discussed.