During the past few years the otolaryngologist has displayed an increasing interest in the important part played by allergy as a common cause of disease of the nose and paranasal sinuses. There are, however, far too many articles on the subject of nasal and sinal disease in which allergy is not given consideration. There should be no difficulty in recognizing typical cases, yet there is evidence that they are frequently overlooked. Atypical cases may present vague symptoms or some other associated condition may dominate the clinical picture.
The comparative incidence of allergy and sinusitis, according to the few available statistical reports, shows a great deal of individual variation. Jervey1 reported, for example, that during the years 1924 to 1928 there were noted 421 cases of sinusitis and 11 cases of allergy among 1,566 cases of disease of the ear, nose and throat. Between 1929 and 1933 there were 328 cases