General Medical Information

Nonallergic Rhinitis with Eosinophilia Syndrome

Shawn D. Newlands

Nonallergic rhinitis with eosinophilia syndrome is clinically similar to allergic rhinitis but lacks the immunoglobulin E (IgE)–mediated immunopathologic events. The clinical syndrome is a perennial course of watery rhinorrhea and nasal pruritus with paroxysms of sneezing. Patients are typically middle-aged, and nasal smears contain eosinophils. The incidence of this disease is unknown; many cases are diagnosed as allergic rhinitis. The cause is unknown, although there is evidence of a relation between this disease and aspirin sensitivity.