All issues > Volume 37(8); 1994

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1994;37(8):1116-1123. Published online August 15, 1994.

Chronic Cough in Children

Bin B Cho¹, Joon Sung JS Lee¹, Kyung Tai KT Whang¹, Sung Hoon SH Cho¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Catholic University Medical College, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

Chromic cough is a symptom frequently encountered by the pediatrician. Although most coughs are self-limited, chronic cough ofter proves to be a frustrating problem. This study was performed at Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital from January 1,1992 to December 31, 1992, and 83 children with chronic cough persisting for longer than 3 weeks was evaluated. We categorized these patients into 5 age groups (1. Infant: uner 12 months of age, 2. Toddler: above age 1~below age 3, 3. Preschool: above age 3~below age 6, 4. School: above age 6~below age 12, 5. Adolecent: above age 12). The most common cause of chronic cough was the reactive airway disease (71.1%) such as asthma with or without sinusitis (56.6%) and bronchiolitis-reactive (14.5%). In infant age goup, the most frequent causes of chronic cough were reactive airway disease (52.4%) such as bronchiolitis-reactive (28.6%) and infantile asthma (23.8%). The second and third common causes was the reactive airway disease such as infantile asthma (10 cases; 50%) and bronchiolitis-reactive (6 cases; 30%) and congenital anomalies were thesecond common causes of chronic cough. In preschool, school and adolescent age group, asthma and sinusitis were the main causes of chronic cough. In the groups above age 3, 73.2% of chronic dough were associated with sinusitis. Therefore, in the diagnostic and therapeutic approach of chronic cough, it shoud be considered that the cause of cough is either reactive airway disease with or without sinusitis or not. In infant and toddler age, congenital anomaly shoud be considered.

Keywords :Chronic cough, Reactive airway disease, Sinusitis, Congenital anomaly