Infants with Suspected Asthma Presenting with Recurrent or Persistent Wheezing.
- Author:
So Hyun AHN
1
;
Dae Hyun LIM
;
Byong Kwan SON
;
Jeong Hee KIM
Author Information
1. Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Inha University, Incheon, Korea. kimjhmd@inha.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Wheezing;
CT;
Infant;
Aspiration pneumonia
- MeSH:
Asthma;
Bronchiolitis;
Congenital Abnormalities;
Eosinophil Cationic Protein;
Eosinophils;
Follow-Up Studies;
Humans;
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration;
Immunoglobulin E;
Infant;
Male;
Pneumonia, Aspiration;
Respiratory Sounds;
Thorax
- From:Pediatric Allergy and Respiratory Disease
2010;20(1):23-29
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: This study was designed to investigate the characteristics of infants with recurrent or persistent wheezing who present normal chest X-ray. METHODS: Nonfebrile infants with recurrent or persistent wheezing who revealed normal or only peribronchial infiltration on chest X-rays were enrolled. All infants divided into 2 groups by CT findings: The bronchiolitis or asthma group (hyperinflation or peribronchial wall thickening) and the aspiration pneumonia group (air space consolidation). RESULTS: The subjects were 30 infants (26 males and 4 females). Their mean age was 6.5+/-3.51 months. CT findings revealed no congenital abnormalities of the airways. There were 22 patients (73.3%) in the bronchiolitis or asthma group and 8 patients (26.3%) in the aspiration pneumonia group. There was no difference in the levels of total IgE and serum eosinophil cationic proteins between the 2 groups (33.9+/-36.78 vs. 39.03+/-39.98/30.87+/-34.73 vs. 48.85+/-44.59, P>0.05). However, the concentration of peripheral eosinophils was significantly higher in the bronchiolitis or asthma group than that of the aspiration pneumonia group (272+/-191.03 vs. 92.25+/-79.33, P=0.012). The results of 24-hr pH monitoring did not show any difference between the 2 groups. During follow-up, 9 of the 20 in the bronchiolitis or asthma group and 4 of the 8 patients in the aspiration pneumonia group were diagnosed with infantile asthma. CONCLUSION: Aspiration pneumonia should be considered in infants presenting with recurrent or persistent wheezing who show normal X-ray without elevated levels of peripheral eosinophils.
