Differentiating Rhinitis in the Paediatric Population by Giving Focus on Medical History and Clinical Examination

Doulaptsi, Maria; Aoi, Noriaki; Kawauchi, Hideyuki; Milioni, Athanasia; Karatzanis, Alexander; Prokopakis, Emmanuel

When history is suggestive of AR and clinical findings further support the diagnosis of AR, the next step is to classify and assess severity of disease. Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) classifies rhinitis by duration and by severity according to the effect on quality of life [1] . Alternatively, AR can be classified as seasonal or perennial, based on the relevant allergen [18] . Typical perennial allergens include house dust mite, moulds, and animal dander. Both classification systems are useful in routine clinical practice, and provide supplementary information, especially when classifying rhinitis based on the type of allergen is not applicable. Moreover, ARIA offers treatment algorithms with step-up and step-down options [1] . Nevertheless, whenever history or physical examination reveals features not typically found in AR, nasal examination with endoscopy should be performed.