Background: The prognosis of adult asthma, whether a long-term remission is available, is still unknown. In this paper we investigated the prognosis of adult asthma patients. METHODS We sent a questionnaire by mail to 1168 patients who had been taken care in our clinic until 1990-1992, but disappeared afterward. Those patients were asked their present status of clinical condition of asthma including symptoms, medication, etc.
Results: Delivery of mail was failed in 370 patients because of changed address. 430 of 798 patients replied the mail and 86 patients out of 430 patients were in remission state with no symptom without any medications. The characterictis of these patients in remission are early hospital visit after developing asthma, mild in severity, mild in obstructive lung function and mild in bronchial hypersensitivity to acetylcholine at the first visit hospital.
Conclusion: We concluded that some of adult asthmatic patients might become in clinical remission.