Descriptive Epidemiology in Allergic Rhinoconjunctivitis in the Last 5 Years in Northern Mexico

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the frequency of allergic conjunctivitis in the period from 2015 to 2020 at the Regional Center of Allergy and Clinical Immunology of the University Hospital “Dr. José Eleuterio González” in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Methods: Observational, retrospective and descriptive study. The database of all patients with diagnosis of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis seen in the outpatient clinics from January 2015 to May 2020 was reviewed. Results: The incidence from 2015 to 2020 of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis in the Regional Center of Allergy and Clinical Immunology was 1.5% in 2015, 2.7% in 2016, 2.8% in 2017, 3.2% in 2018, 4.2% in 2019 and 2.3% in 2020. The age group with the highest frequency for allergic rhinoconjunctivitis was found in those over 18 years of age; no significant difference was found between men and women. The year 2019 had the highest number of cases. The most common positive allergens in the skin tests of these patients were Dermatophagoides, Cynodon dactylon and Fraxinus americana, for the last two their pollination season were parallel to the peaks where the highest number of consultations were registered in March, April and August. Conclusions: Allergic rhinoconjunctivitis is a disease that has been increasing in recent years and despite the economic and labor burden it represents, there are currently few studies that address the epidemiological characteristics of these patients.