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Significance of Computed Tomography Pathology in Chronic Rhinosinusitis
Author(s) -
Arango Pablo,
Kountakis Stilianos E.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1097/00005537-200110000-00022
Subject(s) - medicine , sinusitis , chronic rhinosinusitis , prospective cohort study , sinus (botany) , paranasal sinuses , disease , computed tomography , paranasal sinus diseases , nasal polyps , radiology , surgery , botany , biology , genus
Objectives/Hypothesis Multiple reports show that the extent of disease on computer tomography (CT) of the sinuses does not correlate with patients' subjective sinus symptom scores. In the current study, sinus symptom scores of patients with normal findings on sinus CT scans are compared with sinus symptom scores of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis and with disease on CT of the sinuses. The objective is to determine the significance of CT disease in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis. Study Design Prospective collection of data of consecutive patients seen for possible sinusitis. Methods Prospective data at a tertiary medical center were collected over an 8‐month period. Computed tomography scans were graded according to Lund and MacKay, and patients were asked to grade each of the major and minor rhinosinusitis symptoms listed by the Rhinosinusitis Task Force from 0 to 10. A score of 0 was given for no symptom at all, and 10 indicated the most severe extent of a symptom. Results Twenty‐seven patients with sinus complaints had normal findings on sinus CT scans. The average scores for major and minor rhinosinusitis symptoms were 18.6 and 15, respectively. Twenty‐six patients with sinus complaints had disease on CT of their sinuses. The average scores for major and minor rhinosinusitis symptoms for these patients were 42.9 and 22, respectively. Higher symptom scores were seen in the patients with CT disease, and the differences between these two groups were statistically significant (major symptom, P = .1; minor symptom, P = .02). Patient symptom scores did not correlate with extent of disease on CT as previously reported ( r = 0.16). Conclusion The presence of CT disease translates to higher patient symptom scores compared with symptom scores of patients without CT disease.