To better determine the role of allergy in rhinitis and nasal polyposis, we assessed the prevalence of nasal mucosal allergy in the absence of systemic allergy. After a thorough literature search we complied and analyzed data from nine studies (287 patients) that tested for specific immunoglobulin E both intranasally and systemically. When meta-analysis was applied to the different populations, 19% of those who demonstrated specific immunoglobulin E manifested nasal mucosal allergy but no systemic allergy. We suggest that there to an important segment of rhinitis and nasal polyp patients who have nasal mucosal allergy.
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