Rhinitis & Allergy & Immune Deficiency Flashcards
List the main broad categories of rhinitis
- Allergic rhinitis
- Non-allergic rhinitis (e.g. structural, immunodeficiency, CF)
- Infectious rhinitis
What is the traditional classification of allergic rhinitis? What is the current ARIA classification?
- Seasonal
- Perennial
- Episodic
ARIA classification: Intermittent or persistent, and mild or moderate-severe
Describe the ARIA classification for allergic rhinitis in detail
Intermittent: <4d/week OR <4 weeks in duration
Persistent: >4d/week AND >4 weeks in duration
Mild: ALL of the following:
1. Normal sleep
2. No impairment of ADLs, sports, leisure, work or school
3. Symptoms not troublesome
Moderate-severe: ANY of the following:
1. Impaired sleep
2. Impaired ADLs, sport, leisure, work or school
3. Troublesome symptoms
List 9 categories of non-allergic rhinitis
O-I-SHAVED + Other
Occupational
Idiopathic
Systemic/Structural
Hormonal
Atrophic
Vasomotor (e.g. temperature, gustatory, emotional)
Eosinophilia (NARES)
Drug-induced
Other:
1. Compensatory hypertrophic rhinitis (due to septal deviation)
2. Non-airflow rhinitis (e.g. post laryngectomy, choanal atresia, adenoid hyperplasia)
3. End-stage vascular atony of chronic allergic or inflammatory rhinitis
List the categories of infectious rhinitis
- Viral
- Bacterial
- Fungal
What are the causes of viral rhinitis?
- Rhinovirus
- RSV
- Parainfluenza
- Adenovirus
- Influenza
Define occupational rhinitis and list its symptoms
Nasal irritation and inflammation due to workplace exposures
Symptoms: Ocular symptoms (irritation, pruritus), cough, among other rhinitis symptoms
What are the main causes of occupational rhinitis and how can they be classified? Provide some examples
Broad causes:
1. Allergic
2. Irritative
3. Mixed
Causative agents classification:
1. High molecular weight compounds (HMWCs)
- Thought of as plant or animal derived proteins (immunogenic)
- IgE mediated mechanism of HMWCs cause OR
- Examples: Animal dander, latex, grain dust, flour, dust mites, biologic enzymes, fish/seafood proteins
- Low molecular weight compounds (LMWCs)
- Too small to be immunogenic on their own
- Must be combined with a protein as a hapten-protein complex in order to elicit an IgE mediated hypersensitivity response
- Difficult to isolate LMWC for skin and serum IgE mediated allergy testing
- Examples: Platinum salts, acid anhydrides, reactive dyes, smoke, perfume, air fresheners, solvents
What are risk factors of occupational rhinitis? 1
- History of atopy (predisposes them to additional nasal mucosal inflammation from agents in the workplace
List 5 important components of the diagnosis of occupational rhinitis (history/physical/dx tests). What is the gold standard for diagnosis?
- History: occupational history, including duration of employment (latency), length and frequency of exposure to potential triggers, other irritant exposures
- Physical exam: Anterior rhinoscopy ± FNL
- Immunologic testing: either skin prick or serum allergen-specific IgE antibodies
- Immunologic testing is limited in evaluating OR caused by LMWCs due to need of hapten protein complex to trigger IgE response
- Nasal provocation challenge (gold standard) - test exposure to airborne substance - assessed both symptomatically and objectively through rhinomanometry, acoustic rhinometry, peak nasal inspiratory flow
List 4 lines of management for occupational rhinitis
- Goals of occupational rhinitis: limit impact of disease on patient wellbeing, limit untoward effect on productivity, and prevent additional adverse health sequelae (e.g. occupational asthma) due to continued exposure
Main treatments:
1. First line: Avoidance of exposure
2. Limited exposure with medications for symptom control if unable to avoid
3. Immunotherapy if specific allergic triggers are identified and pharmacotherapy is not sufficient
Discuss the diagnosis and 3 management of idiopathic rhinitis
Diagnosis:
- Diagnosis of exclusion, comprises 60% of non-allergic rhinitis
Treatment:
1. Trial of saline irrigations
2. INCS ± intranasal antihistamine x 6-8 weeks
3. Allergy testing should be pursued if symptoms persist
What are the most common systemic/structural conditions causing non-allergic rhinitis?
Granulomatous diseases - sarcoidosis
Vasculitities - GPA
Regarding systemic causes of nasal and sinus disease, discuss:
1. What signs and symptoms might lead you to suspect a systemic cause?
2. What signs on imaging might point to systemic cause? 3
3. What lab tests could be ordered to look for underlying systemic cause?
SIGNS/SYMPTOMS:
1. CRS symptoms beyond what would normally be expected (severe)
2. Severe inflammatory changes of the septum: crusting, bleeding, edema, ulceration, necrosis, perforation
3. Presence of other inflammatory/autoimmune disorder: SLE, arthritis, IBD, derm, etc.
IMAGING:
1. Inflammatory changes limited to nasal cavity
2. Sinuses spared
3. Thickened septum
LABS:
1. CBC
2. Inflammatory markers: ESR, CRP
3. Immune panel: IgG/M/A/E levels, lymphocyte differential (CD3/4/8)
4. Autoimmune panel: protein electrophoresis for MGUS, P-ANCA, C-ANCA, anti-DNA, anti-ENA
5. Disease specific, as directed by other exam findings: Anti-Ro/La
6. Consider urinalysis
What are nasal signs of granulomatous disease?
- Nodular mucosa
- Nasal crusting
- Septal perforation
- Synechiae
- Sinuses spared
Define snuffles
Persistent blood tinged rhinorrhea seen in Syphillis (syphillitic rhinitis)
List 11 structural causes of non-allergic rhinitis
- Septal deviation
- Turbinate hypertrophy
- Nasal valve collapse
- Choanal atresia/stenosis
- Adenoid hypertrophy.
- Septal perforation
- Neoplasm
- Foreign body
- CSF leak
- Ciliary dyskinesia (e.g. PCD, Kartagener syndrome)
- Nasal polyp
List 9 Systemic causes of non-allergic rhinitis
- GPA (Wegener’s)
- eGPA (Churg Strauss)
- SLE
- Relapsing polychondritis
- Amyloidosis
- Sarcoidosis
- Immunodeficiency (e.g. selective IgA deficiency)
- NK/T cell lymphoma
- CLL
- EER (Extraesophageal reflux?)
- Parkinson’s disease
What is the epidemiology of hormonal rhinitis?
1/3 of pregnant women have symptomatic nasal congestion
2/3 of women report nasal congestion some time during their pregnancy
Typically worse at 2nd trimester and abates soon after delivery
Describe the pathophysiology of hormonal rhinitis
What are 5 causes of hormonal rhinitis
Elevated estrogen and progesterone levels –> inhibits acetylcholinesterase activity –> increases acetylcholine in parasympathetic ganglia –> vascular smooth muscle relaxation (vasodilation) –> swelling and edema of nasal mucosa
Physiologic expansion of circulating blood volume –> increased vascular engorgement
Other causes of hormonal rhinitis:
1. OCP
2. Puberty
3. Pregnancy
4. Menopause
5. Hypothyroidism
6. Acromegaly
Outline the general management for hormonal rhinitis. What are Category B and C medications that are considered safe for use in pregnancy?
Many medications are not safe in pregnancy
- Saline irrigation is first line before trying pharmaceuticals
- No Category A options for rhinitis (adequate and well controlled studies showing no risk to pregnant women)
- Best treatment options are Category B mediations (safe in animal studies)
- Nasal Cromolyn solution (mast cell stabilizer) is Category B
- First and second generation antihistamines are Category B - EXCEPT for Fenofexadine (Allegra) and Desloratadine (Aerius) which are Category C (observational/unsystematic)
- Atrovent is Category B - but more effective for rhinorrhea than congestion
- Nasal steroids are Category C - except Budesonide Aqua (Rhinocort aqua) which was recently upgraded to Category B
- Intranasal antihistamines, and oral/intranasal decongestants are category C
- Leukotrienes are Category B but have unclear efficacy
- Check for hypothyroidism as this may also cause rhinitis - Levothyroxine is Category A
A:
- Levothyroxine
- Saline Irrigation
B:
- Nasal Cromolyn
- First and second generation antihistamines EXCEPT Fenofexadine and Desloratadine
- Atrovent
- Budesonide Aqua (Rhinocort Aqua)
- Leukotrienes
C:
- Fenofexadine and Desloratadine (antihistamines)
- Nasal steroids except Budesonide
- Intranasal antihistamines
- Oral/intranasal decongestants
List all the Class B medications that can be used in rhinitis for pregnancy, and list their medication class
Systemic antihistamines: first generation
- Chlorpheniramine (chlortrimeton)
- Clemastine (Tavist)
- Dimenhydrinate (Dramamine)
- Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
- Hydroxyline (Vistaril
Systemic antihistamines, second generation:
- Cetirizine (Zyrtec)
- Levocetirizine (Xyzal)
- Loratadine (Claritin)
Leukotriene Inhibitors
- Montelukast (Singulair)
- Zafirlukast (Accoiate)
Nasal anticholinergics
- Ipratropium Bromide (Atrovent)
Nasal Mast Cell Stabilizers
- Cromolyn Sodium (Nasylcrom)
Nasal Steroids
- Budesonifde Aqua (Rhinocort Aqua)
List all the Class C medications that can be used in rhinitis for pregnancy, and list their medication class
Systemic Antihistamines, first generation:
- Pheniramine (Avil)
- Promethazine (Phenergan)
Systemic Antihistamines, second generation:
- Desloratidine (Clarinex)
- Fenofexidine (Allegra)
Systemic Decongestants:
- Phenylephrine
- Pseudoephedrine
Nasal antihistamines:
- Azelastine (Astelin, Astepra)
- Olopatadine (Pataday)
Nasal Decongestants:
- Oxymetazoline (Afrin)
- Phenylephrine (Neosynephrine)
- Xylometazoline (Otrivin)
Nasal Steroids
- Beclometasone (Beconase, Vancenase)
- Ciclesonide (Omnaris)
- Fluticasone Furoate (Veramyst)
- Fluticasone Proprionate (Flonase)
- Mometasone Furoate (Nasonex)
- Triamcinolone Acetonide (Nasocort)
What is the definition of atrophic rhinitis?
What are other names for it?
What are the common characteristic findings - 4
What is the pathophysiology of atrophic rhinitis? - 4
How is it typically classified?
Atrophic Rhinitis: Paradoxical nasal congestion and mucociliary stasis, where patients present with primary symptoms of chronic severe nasal obstruction but on exam the nasal cavities are widely patent or even widened.
Often used interchangeably with rhinitis sicca, empty nose syndrome, or ozena.
Symptoms:
1. Dyspnea
2. Nasal ± pharyngeal dryness
3. Facial pain
4. Crusting
5. Hyposmia
Characteristic findings:
1. Nasal crusting
2. Enlarged nasal cavities
3. Mucosal atrophy
4. Paradoxical nasal congestion
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY:
1. Loss of humidity
2. Loss of laminar airflow
3. Loss of airway resistance
4. Loss of sensation
Characterized into primary and secondary atrophic rhinitis.