高齢者のスギ花粉症について

Japanese Cedar Pollinosis in Elderly

　はじめに

　スギ花粉症は若年成人に好発し，高齢者には少ないとされてきた^1）のであるが，近年の高齢者人口比率の増加に伴い，高齢者に散見され微増の傾向をみるに至った^2）。われわれは，この傾向に注目し，当科におけるスギ花粉症高齢者比率について検討したので，文献的考察を加えて報告する。

Between 1991 and 1995, 225 cases of allergic rhinitis were treated at our clinic. Of 225 cases, Japanese cedar pollinosis comprised 113 cases. The incidences of cedar pollinosis (14 cases, 12.4%) and ragweed (5 cases, 20.8%) were higher than mites (4 cases, 4.4%) and house dust (one case, 1.5%) in the elderly. In 12 cases of cedar pollinosis in whom the ages at the onset were identified, 7 cases showed onsets after 60 years of age. This result suggested the rather high incidence of Japanese cedar pollinosis among the elderly.