Childhood bronchial asthma in northern Nigeria.

A review of childhood bronchial asthma in Zaria, northern Nigeria is presented. An average of twenty-three cases a year were seen over a 4-year period. Features of the disease include low incidence, late age of onset, family history of asthma in only 16% of cases and absence of eczema, but positive skin tests, as evidence of atopy. The clinical features of the disease are similar to those described in children elsewhere. The apparent conflicting reports on the epidemiology of childhood bronchial asthma in Africa are probably due to the multifactorial nature of the disease: geographical, environmental, racial, as well as factors related to the life-style of the people.