Less common presentations of asthma

One hundred one children admitted to a pediatric unit in whom the final diagnosis was asthma were studied. Twenty-six had symptoms that did not immediately suggest asthma. Recurrent pneumonia in 4, right middle lobe collapse in 3, croup in 5, and wheezy bronchitis of infancy in 14 were subsequently diagnosed as asthma. The early diagnosis of asthma could lessen morbidity and mortality.