Sensibilisation cutanée au cyprès à Casablanca

The cypress is a conifer with persistent sheets, present in the Mediterranean area, where it is responsible of pollinosis. In order to specify the share of the allergenicity of the pollen of cypress, among others pneumallergenes, present under our climates, and to clear up the profile of patients sensitized to the cypress, we carried out a prospective study from November 2003 to November 2004. It included 154 patients, with a mean age of 30, 12 years old, with a female predominance in 95 cases (61, 7%). All the subjects profited of a meticulous history, a clinical examination and a chest ray. Allergological skin tests for the main pneumallergenes were practiced with a positive control (histamine) and a negative control (glycerosaline). The extracts used are those marketed by the Stallergene's laboratories. Cutaneous sensitisation to cypress was present in 32 patients (20.78%). The prevalence of the cutaneous sensitisation to cypress came in 5th position after the dust mites, Grasses, Mimosa and Cockroach. The sensitisation was isolated in only one case, and associated to one ore more sensitisation to others pneumallergenes at the remaining 31 cases: DP (80, 65%), DF (71%), 5 Grasses (74,19%), Mimosa (58, 06%), cockroach (48,39%) and Blomia Tropicalis (45, 16%). Among these patients allergic to cypress, the rhinitis is found in 26 cases (81, 25%), insulated in 3 cases (9, 37%) associated on asthma alone in 6 cases (18, 75%), with asthma + conjunctivitis is 8 cases (25%), associated a conjunctivitis + cutaneous diseases in 3 cases (9, 37%). Asthma is found in 22 cases (68, 75%), insulated in 5 cases (15, 63%), and associated to conjunctivitis in one case (3, 13%). The rhinitis is classified intermittent mild in 6 cases (23, 07%), intermittent moderate to severe in 9 cases (34, 62%), persistent mild in one case (3, 85%), persistent moderate to severe in 10 cases (38, 46%). Asthma is intermittent in 7 cases (31, 82%), persistent mild in 5 cases (22, 73%), persistent moderate in 9 cases (40, 9%) and persistent severe in one case (4, 55%). These results confirm the relative high frequency of sensitisation to cypress in Casablanca, and the frequency of the rhinitis and asthma among sensitized patients. The treatment is especially symptomatic with ousting of the allergens.