Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T07:23:29.806Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Cough as the sole manifestation of airway hyperreactivity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2007

A Frans*
Affiliation:
Department of Internal Medicine, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc. 1200 Brussels, Belgium. Accepted for publication: 13 February 1989
J Van Den Eeckhaut
Affiliation:
Ear, Nose and Throat Department, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc. 1200 Brussels, Belgium
*
A. Frans, M.D., Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, 10 Avenue Hippocrate, 1200 Brussels, Belgium

Abstract

Abstract The authors report 18 patients who presented to the ENT department with isolated cough, which had begun one month to 14 years previously. As the ENT examination was negative, the patients were referred to the Department of General Medicine where a bronchial reactivity test with acetylcholine was found to be positive, leading to a diagnosis of airway hyperreactivity. The group was predominantly female (15/18) and atopy was rare; indeed, only one patient, who had a history of allergic rhinitis, was found to be atopic. Bronchodilators and inhaled steroids cured or helped the cough in 16/18 patients. When a patient presents with chronic cough without other respiratory symptoms it is important to consider a diagnosis of airway hyperreactivity and to confirm this with a challenge test of bronchoconstriction

Type
Main Articles
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 1989

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bahous, J., Cartier, A., Quimet, G., Pineau, L. and Malo, J. L. (1984) Nonallergic bronchial hyperexcitability in chronic bronchitis. American Review of Respiratory Disease, 129: 216220.Google ScholarPubMed
Berg, P., Wehrli, R. and Medici, T. C. (1986) Asthmatic cough. Monosymptomatic bronchial asthma in the form of a chronic cough. Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift, 111: 17301731.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bolognini, G. (1981) Cough and dyspnea of breath. Symptoms too often wrongly diagnosed as functional. Schweize Rundschau für Medizin Praxis, 70: 14271431.Google ScholarPubMed
Cloutier, M. M. and Loughlin, G. H. (1981) Chronic cough in children: a manifestation of airway hyperreactivity. Pediatrics, 67: 612.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Corrao, W. M. (1982) Chronic cough: a manifestation of bronchial asthma. Comprehensive Therapy, 8: 2226.Google ScholarPubMed
Carrao, W. M., Braman, S. S. and Irwin, R. S. (1979) Chronic cough as the sole presenting manifestation of bronchial asthma. New England Journal of Medicine, 300: 633637.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crivelli, M., Zeller, C. and Bachofen, H. (1985) Bronchial reaction to carbachol inhalation in patients with a suspected diagnosis of cough due to asthma. Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift, 115: 620624.Google ScholarPubMed
De Vries, K., Booy-Noord, H., Van Der Lende, R., Tammeling, C. J., Sluiter, H. J. and Orie, N. G. M. (1971) Reactivity of the airways to exogenous stimuli. Progress in Respiratory Research, 6: 6667.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ellul-Micallef, (1983) Effect of terbutaline sulphate in chronic ‘allergic’ cough. British Medical Journal, 287: 940943.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Geller, M. and Coslovsky, S. (1979) Persistent cough as the sole manifestation of asthma in pregnancy. Annals of Allergy, 43: 310.Google ScholarPubMed
Gerrard, J. W., Cockcroft, D. W. and Dosman, J. A. (1980) Increased non specific bronchial reactivity in cigarette smokers with normal lung function. American Review of Respiratory Disease, 122: 577581.Google ScholarPubMed
Irwin, R. S., Corrao, W. M. and Pratter, M. V. (1981) Chronic persistent cough in the adult: the spectrum and frequency of causes and successful outcome of specific therapy. American Review of Respiratory Disease 123: 413417.Google ScholarPubMed
Kopp, W. (Letter 1987) Asthma cough. Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift, 112: 78.Google ScholarPubMed
Malo, J. L., Filiatrault, S. and Martin, R. R. (1982) Bronchial responsiveness to inhaled metacholine in young asymptomatic smokers. Journal of Applied Physiology, 52: 14641470.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oppenheimer, E. E., Rigatto, M. and Fletcher, C. M. (1968) Airway obstruction before and after isoprenaline, histamine, and prednisolone inpatients with chronic obstructive bronchitis. Lancet, 1: 552557.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ramsdell, J. W., Nahtwey, F. J. and Moser, K. M. (1982) Bronchial hyperreactivity in chronic bronchitis. American Review of Respiratory Disease, 126: 829832.Google Scholar
Rodney, W. M. (1979) Diagnosis of chronic cough (letter). Journal of the American Medical Association, 242: 1491.Google Scholar
Stanescu, D. and Frans, A. (1982) Bronchial asthma without increased airway reactivity. European Journal of Respiratory Diseases, 63: 512.Google ScholarPubMed
Van Den Eeckhaut, J. and Estienne, F. (1967) Diagnostics différentiels en oto-rhino-laryngologie et en audiophonologie. Office International de Librairie, Bruxelles.Google Scholar
Yahav, Y., Katznelson, D. and Benzaray, S. (1982) Persistent cough a forme frustre of asthma. European Journal of Respiratory Disease, 63: 4346.Google Scholar
Zellweger, J. P. (1987) Chronic cough and bronchial hyperreactivity. Schweize Rundschau für Medizin Praxis, 76 (15): 392396.Google ScholarPubMed