[Asthma induced by aspirin and arachidonic acid metabolites. I. In search of answers to an enigma (first part)].

Acetylsalicylic acid, one of the most commonly used drugs and high on the list of causes of drug reactions. Since early publication on 1902 by Hirschberg, a great deal of information has emerged on aspirin sensitivity, including data on epidemiology, further characterization of the two major subtypes of sensitivity (bronchospastic and urticarial types), hereditary aspects, cross-reactions to other nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, and methods of desensitization. Although the pathogenesis of aspirin-sensitive asthma remains unknown, several theories has been proposed to explain the disease enigma.