Skin prick test results and prevalence of allergic symptoms in workers exposed to toluene

Aim: To determine the distribution of allergens and allergic symptoms according to occupation groups in those who were exposed to toluene and presented with allergic rhinitis symptoms. Materials and methods: Of the 2005 patients who were administered an allergy test with the prediagnosis of allergic rhinitis, the files of 138 patients who were exposed to toluene were analyzed retrospectively. Results: The mean age of the patients was 35 ± 10 years. Distributions of symptoms and allergens of 57 patients (41.3%) with negative skin prick test and 81 patients (58.7%) with positive skin prick test were analyzed according to occupation groups. There was no signifi cant difference between the groups in terms of symptoms at baseline except for the symptom of runny nose (P 0.05). The groups were compared in terms of complaints that started at the age of 16 or later, which was found as 76.5% in the positive group and 91.2% in the negative group. Conclusion: The occupation of the patient must be considered in patients who present with allergic symptoms; in particular, patients with negative skin prick test should be investigated in terms of occupational exposure.