EAR-NOSE-THROAT FINDINGS IN PATIENTS WITH COMMON VARIABLE IMMUNE DEFICIENCY (CVID)
1Ege Üniversitesi, Kulak Burun Boğaz, İzmir, Türkiye2Ege Üniversitesi, İç Hastalıkları-İmmünoloji ve Alerji, İzmir, Türkiye Objective: The aim of the study is to emphasize the importance of CVID in ear nose throat disorders, which is an important immune disorder that is characterized by recurrent sinopulmonary infections refractory to medical treatments, autoimmune diseases and increased tendency to malignancies.
Methods: Medical records of 13 patients who were diagnosed as CVID in Immunology Department between 1993 and 2003, were evaluated retrospectively. During close follow-up period of one year, all patients underwent detailed ear-nose-throat examinations and all ear nose throat complaints were noted.
Results: 9 male and 4 female patients with average age of 39,9 years (23-51) were recruited in the study. All patients were reported to have more than 10 recurrent upper respiratory tract infections and one patient had died because of respiratory insufficiency which was resulted from advanced stage bronchiectasis. Average age for beginning of the recurrent infections and diagnosis of the disease was found to be 13,1 and 34,3 years respectively. Sinusitis was found to be the most frequent one within all recurrent infections. Approximately 85% of patients had underwent at least one surgery due to recurrent infections.
Conclusion: Long average period of time (21,2 years) between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis revealed that, physicians do not remind CVID as a reason for recurrent infections. Collaboration of primary health care physicians, pulmonologist, ENT specialists and clinical immunologists would provide early diagnosis and treatment before onset of probabl complications.
Keywords : Common Variable Immunodeficiency; Respiratory Tract Infections, sinusitis, otitis, tonsillitis