A person having aspirin triad has three conditions simultaneously: Asthma, aspirin sensitivity and nasal/ethmoidal polyposis. The condition can be explained as follows: An asthmatic patient, who is sensitive to aspirin, has allergic reaction developing rhinosinusitis and other complications due to intolerance to aspirin.
The same pathological condition is described by terms: Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease (AERD), Samter’s Triad, Aspirin Sensitive Asthma and Sampter’s Syndrome.
Characteristics of or Symptoms during Aspirin Triad:
Patients with aspirin triad suffer from a severe form of asthma; the intensity is as high as three times. The first symptom of aspirin triad is rhinitis or inflammation of the nose. The patient experiences all the symptoms of rhinitis like sneezing, congestion and a runny nose.
Having these symptoms for a few days the disorder progresses to asthma. The patient experiences all the characteristics of asthma in more severe way,i.e, difficult breathing, chest tightedness, wheezing, coughing etc.
Polyposis is the last stage of the triad. It is a condition where there are a lot of polyps. A polyp is a projecting mass of overgrown tissue that appears like a button mushroom. CT scans demonstrate that in cases of aspirin triad the frequency of nasal polyps can be as high as 90%.
Another important symptom of aspirin triad is anosmia or lack of smell. Inflammation in the nose reaches the olfactory receptors in the nose, impairing ability to smell.
Pathophysiology of Aspirin Triad:
The mechanism of aspirin triad is not perfectly known. It is believed that all the above changes happen due to anomaly in arachidonic acid cascade. This cascade causes abnormal production of leukotrienes, the chemicals involved in the body’s inflammatory response. Aspirin blocks production of prostaglandin and this results in shunting of leukotrienes giving rise to severe allergy-like effects.
