[Long term disodium-Cromoglycate treatment in children with bronchiale asthma who responded unsatisfactorily to hyposensitation (author's transl)].

The authors treated 53 asthmatic children for 1/2 to 2 years with Disodium-cromoglycate (Intal). The patients were selected of 412 children suffering of bronchial asthma. The patients were living at home and controled by the outpatient consultation of the hospital. The criteria of selection were: 1. Failure of hyposensitization-treatment, or symptomatic therapy. 2. Polysensibilisation. 3. Anaphylactic shock. 4. Lack of positive skin tests to allergen extracts ("endogenous asthma"). 40 patients got also specific hyposensitization during or before the Intal treatment. The Intal treatment ameliorated definitively the clinical course of illness in 45 patients: only 8 children continued to have serious attacks. The FEV 1.0 and the peak flow rates did not change during the therapy which shows an unaltered tonus of bronchial smooth muscles. Vital capacity rose a significantly and the residual volume decreased during the treatment. Exogenously asthmatic children showed the best response to Intal if it was combined with specific hyposensitisation.