Strategy of endoscopic skull base reconstruction in endoscopic transsphenoidal approaches

Abstract

Background Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) is the main source of water in the Red Sea coast in Jeddah, KSA, the workers and their families are exposed to vapor and chemicals that affect their upper respiratory tract. Aim Our aim was to study the prevalence of unified airway disease [allergic rhinitis (AR) and bronchial asthma] in SWCC Society accommodations, serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) level and its relation to the duration of bronchial asthma, and duration of living in the accommodations. Patients and methods This randomized study included 400 patients with bronchial asthma, the included patients comprised two groups: group I (GI) (n=200) from SWCC Society accommodations and group II (GII) (n=200) patients from outside the accommodations. Both groups were classified according to Allergy Classification of allergic rhinitis and its impact on asthma and blood samples for IgE taken from them. Results According to the classification of allergic rhinitis and its impact on asthma, the persistent and moderate–severe allergy were more common in GI (80%) and the intermittent allergy and mild severity was 20%, while the persistent and moderate–severe allergy were less common in GII (22%) and the intermittent allergy and mild severity was 78%. GI patients experienced a significantly high IgE level compared with GII, higher in males than females, and increases with the duration of living in the accommodations and duration of bronchial asthma. Conclusion Unified airway disease is common in SWCC Society with a high level of IgE compared with outside the accommodations. Keywords: allergic rhinitis, bronchial asthma, environmental diseases, serum total immunoglobulin E.