Bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis-The skin sample reveals a severe systemic disease

Abstract

This article reports the case of a30-year-old female patient who suffered for many years from initially unspecific symptoms, such as recurrent, nonallergic and noninfectious sinusitis, late-onset bronchial asthma and pronounced lymphadenopathy; however, the correct diagnosis of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) could only be made by histological investigations after the appearance of skin symptoms. The EGPA is asevere systemic disease which, if left untreated, can cause multiple organ damage and even be fatal. With adequate treatment the disease is mild in more than 90% of cases and patients can even completely recover. By making the correct diagnosis, the patient could be successfully treated and the risk of late manifestations and subsequent damage with apotentially fatal outcome was reduced.