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Hong Kong Med J 2007;13:131-6

House dust mites are a common cause of allergic rhinitis in Hong Kong, according to a study published in the April 2007 edition of the Hong Kong Medical Journal.

A total of 997 patients were recruited for skin prick tests at Queen Mary Hospital�s Otorhinolaryngology clinic to see if their chronic rhinitis was being caused by specific allergens. Of the patients tested, 651 (67%) had positive reactions to known allergens. Of those who had positive reactions, 95% were allergic to house dust mites. Other common allergens were cockroaches (23%), cats (14%) dogs (5%) and moulds (3%). Many patients were allergic to several of these allergens.

Chronic rhinitis is a common nasal condition causing watery discharge, sneezing, itchiness and stuffy nose. It affects 10 to 40% of people according to population surveys. A proportion of suffers have their condition caused by allergens. A simple and reliable way to identify the causative allergens is to do a skin prick test.

Those people found to have identifiable allergens by the skin prick test were also more likely to have developed the condition at an earlier age, to have higher risk of suffering from asthma, to have more severe symptoms in the morning including watery and itchy eyes and noses, sneezing and nasal stuffiness.

Hong Kong Med J 2007;13:137-40

Polyacrylamide hydrogel (PAAG) injections given for breast augmentation can lead to foreign body tissue reactions causing painful lumps that need to be surgically removed according to a study published in the April 2007 edition of the Hong Kong Medical Journal.

A study of breast tissue removed from eight patients who suffered complications after PAAG injections found that in some women the injection can give rise to a breast lump and inflammation. When examined pathologically, the complication was found to be associated with fibrosis, inflammation and a foreign body reaction. Of the eight women in the study, seven had breast lumps and one had recurrent breast infections after having PAAG injections. All of them were young-aged between 29 and 45 years and had surgery to remove the lumps and inflamed tissue.