Jin-Young Lee, MD, PhD
,
Health Promotion Center, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
Sehyo Yune, MD
,
Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
Young Nam Kim, MD
,
Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
Jihye Kim, MD
,
Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
Mi-Jin Jang
,
Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul, South Korea
Jae-Won Paeng
,
Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul, South Korea
Young Eun Kim
,
Department of Pharmacy, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
Dong-Chull Choi, MD, PhD
,
Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
Byung-Jae Lee, MD, PhD
,
Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
Yongseok Lee
,
Department of Pharmacy, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
Sehyo Yune
,
Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
Background:Clinical reports on cough variant asthma (CVA) or nonasthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis (NAEB) rarely suggest any symptom as an important diagnostic clue. The aim of this study was to investigate whether history of wheezing is useful in detection of CVA or NAEB among patients with chronic cough.
Methods: Patients with cough persisting for more than 8 weeks were prospectively enrolled. They were divided into two groups according to the presence of wheezing in the past. Results of methacholine bronchial challenge and induced sputum examination were compared between two groups.
Results:Four hundred sixty patients (165 men and 295 women) were enrolled and analyzed. Their mean age was 47.4 years and the median duration of cough was 13.5 months. Patients who had experienced wheezing were 164 (35.6%). The prevalence of CVA (36.4% vs. 5.8%, p<0.01) and NAEB (15.4% vs. 4.4%, p<0.01) were significantly higher in wheezing group compared to non-wheezing group.
Conclusion: History of wheezing in the past significantly increases the chance of CVA or NAEB in patients with chronic cough. Careful history taking is important in diagnosing the cause of chronic cough.
