A prospective study of nasal disease in adult cystic fibrosis

Twenty-six adult cystic fibrosis patients were studied to compare nasal dis ease with their laboratory correlates including skin testing, immunoglobuli n and Aspergillus fumigatus precipitin levels, saccharin testing and sputum cultures. Six patients were asymptomatic and all of these had negative ski n tests, normal IgE levels and negative Aspergillus fumigatus precipitins. Thirteen patients had rhinitis, 12 had positive skin-testing for common all ergens, 10 elevated IgE levels and nine positive Aspergillus fumigatus prec ipitins. Seven patients had polyps, all had normal IgE levels and negative Aspergillus fumigatus precipitins, six had positive skin testing for common allergens. There also appeared to be a relationship between Pseudomonas sp p. colonization and positive skin testing.