H J Schwartz1. 1. University Suburban Health Center, South Euclid, OH 44121, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Allergic fungal sinusitis has been described since 1983 but has been a diagnostic problem due to the lack of agreed upon criteria that should be met for diagnosis: such criteria have recently been proposed by deShazo and Swain. OBJECTIVES: The findings in ten patients previously diagnosed as having allergic fungal sinusitis were reviewed and compared with the recently proposed criteria. METHODS: A detailed review of each of these ten previously diagnosed cases was undertaken in order to compare their findings with these newly proposed criteria. RESULTS: The newly proposed criteria were found to be highly valid standards for the diagnosis of allergic fungal sinusitis; no significant discrepancies were found. CONCLUSION: The criteria proposed by deShazo and Swain for the diagnosis of allergic fungal sinusitis should be widely adopted. Utilizing these criteria, a broadly based study of the true prevalence of this disease should be undertaken.
BACKGROUND:Allergic fungal sinusitis has been described since 1983 but has been a diagnostic problem due to the lack of agreed upon criteria that should be met for diagnosis: such criteria have recently been proposed by deShazo and Swain. OBJECTIVES: The findings in ten patients previously diagnosed as having allergic fungal sinusitis were reviewed and compared with the recently proposed criteria. METHODS: A detailed review of each of these ten previously diagnosed cases was undertaken in order to compare their findings with these newly proposed criteria. RESULTS: The newly proposed criteria were found to be highly valid standards for the diagnosis of allergic fungal sinusitis; no significant discrepancies were found. CONCLUSION: The criteria proposed by deShazo and Swain for the diagnosis of allergic fungal sinusitis should be widely adopted. Utilizing these criteria, a broadly based study of the true prevalence of this disease should be undertaken.