Local Sympathetic System Dysfunction in Patients with Acute Allergic Rhinitis; an Electrophysiological study of Local Sympathetic Skin Responses Test

Abstract

Introduction: In this study, we aimed to investigate sympathetic nervous system functions by local sympathetic skin responses of the nasal septum in patients with acute allergic rhinitis.

Material and Methods: Eighty-five patients who were diagnosed as acute allergic rhinitis according to medical history and otorhinolaryngological examination with positive allergy evaluations via skin prick testing and 50 healthy subjects were included to the study. Sympathetic skin responses of the nasal septum were recorded in patients and in the control groups, and sympathetic skin response latencies and amplitudes were compared between groups.

Results: The mean value of sympathetic skin response latencies was significantly longer in the patient group than that of the control group (p<0.001). In addition, mean value of sympathetic skin response amplitudes was significantly lower in the patient group than the control group (p<0.001).

Conclusion: Our study is the first which electrophysiologically evaluated the local sympathetic nervous functions that shows objective evidence of local sympathetic nervous system dysfunction. This way to access local sympathetic nervous system dysfunction would be helpful in deciding patients' treatment.