A New Etiology of Occupational Asthma

Abstract

A 28-year-old woman who has been working in a drug factory in Samsun for 10 years, during which she had worked at packing within first 5 years and is still working at manufacture department for 5 years, presented with a history of attacks of itching of throat, cough and dyspnea at workplace for 2 years. Occupational asthma was initial diagnosis and she was evaluated for confirmation of the diagnosis. Physical examination was normal, and also was pulmonary function test. Serum total IgE was 1268 IU/ml. Skin tests and bronchial provacation tests with polivinyl pirrolidon-iodur complex (Batticon®), dimenhidrinat (Anti EM®), and Rhizoma zingiberis (Ginger®) that all were manufactured at her workplace were done. Skin test with Rhizoma zingiberis was positive with 8 × 8 mm of which negative control was was 2 × 2 mm and histamine was 5 × 5 mm. Bronchial provacation tests with Rhizoma zingiberis was also positive and its results were as follows: initial FEV1: 2.97 L/min, FEV1 at 5th minute: 1.20 L/min (58% of initial value). The results of bronchial provacation tests and also skin tests with common allergens and the other two drugs to which she exposed during working were negative. To our knowledge, our case is the first case that reports Rhizoma zingiberis as an etiologic agent for occupational asthma.