Allergic rhinitis in children in pneumo-allergology consultation at the Teaching Hospital Campus of Lomé (Togo)

Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is one of the most common chronic pathologies in children. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of AR in children undergoing pneumo-allergology consultation at the Teaching Hospital Campus of Lomé (Togo). Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in the Pneumo-Allergology Unit of the Teaching Hospital Campus of Lomé from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2019. We included in our study all children (0 to 18 years old) who consulted in our Unit. The parameters studied included demographic and clinical data, home environment (external and internal of the concessions and internal environment of the rooms), total IgE test, results of skin prick tests, and diagnosis. Results: We identified a total of 179 cases of AR (19 of which were excluded) out of 380 children who had consulted during our study period; the prevalence was 47.11%. Children aged 0 to 5 years accounted for 57.50% of patients. There was male dominance, with a sex ratio of 1.5. Clear rhinorrhoea was the symptom found in 100% of cases, followed by sneezing (85.63%) and nasal obstruction (85.00%). Asthma was frequently associated (47.37%). Rhinopharyngitis accounted for 59.86% of the allergic pathologies identified in the families, followed by asthma (34.51%). The house was old (> 10 years) in 58.75%, the mattress was old (> 5 years) in 44.38%, and the pillow was old (> 5 years) in 44.22% of cases. The majority (55.63%) of patients had pets in the home, and the predominant pet was the cat (67.42%). The skin prick test, carried out in 110 patients, had noted sensitization to dust mites (100%), cat dander (58.18%), cockroaches (58.18%) and molds (28.18%). AR was persistent in 60.63% of cases. Sneezing was more common in moderate to severe persistent AR than in mild persistent AR (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: The prevalence of AR in children was high. Persistent AR was the most common.