brittle asthma

Asthma with a wide and chaotic variation in peak expiratory flow (PEF) despite high doses of inhaled steroids, distinct from the controlled patterns of PEF variation seen in patients with uncontrolled asthma

brittle asthma

A rare form of ASTHMA affecting mainly females and featuring sudden, very severe, often life-threatening attacks. Those affected have a mild degree of immune deficiency, with poorly-controlled asthma in spite of substantial doses of inhaled steroids and wide diurnal swings in their peak flow meter readings. The term is also applied to people whose asthma is normally well controlled but who, nevertheless, suffer occasional sudden severe attacks.