Isolated sphenoid sinusitis complicated by meningitis and multiple cerebral infarctions in a renal transplant recipient

Genetically predicted chronic rhinosinusitis and the risk of stroke: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study

Objective

The causal association between chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and stroke remains uncertain due to the susceptibility of observational studies to confounding and the possibility of reverse causality. This study aims to examine the potential causal relationship between CRS and the risk of stroke, encompassing various subtypes.

Methods

In this research, we utilized genome-wide association study (GWAS) data for CRS from FinnGen. We identified significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with CRS and used them as instrumental variables (IVs). GWAS data for any ischemic stroke (AIS), ischemic stroke (IS), large-artery atherosclerotic stroke (LAS), small-vessel strokes (SVS), cardioembolic strokes (CES), intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), lobar ICH, and non-lobar ICH came from multi-ancestry GWAS datasets. We conducted two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses using inverse variance weighting (IVW), weighted median, and MR-Egger regression methods to investigate potential causal relationships between CRS and stroke. Both heterogeneity and pleiotropy were evaluated by sensitivity analyses.

Result

The IVW analysis revealed no significant associations between CRS and AIS (OR = 0.99, 95% CI [0.93-1.05], p = 0.73), IS (OR = 0.97, 95% CI [0.81-1.17], p = 0.09), SVS (OR = 0.96, 95% CI [0.82-1.12], p = 0.58), LAS (OR = 0.91, 95% CI [0.77-1.08], p = 0.09), CES (OR = 0.97, 95% CI [0.81-1.17], p = 0.79), ICH (OR = 1.28, 95% CI [0.74-2.22], p = 0.28), lobar ICH (OR = 1.22, 95% CI [0.60-2.50], p = 0.28), and non-lobar ICH (OR = 1.25, 95% CI [0.65-2.40], p = 0.79). Sensitivity analysis found no evidence of horizontal pleiotropy.

Conclusion

According to genetic evidence, this Mendelian randomization (MR) study does not indicate a causal relationship between CRS and stroke in European populations. However, further studies are necessary to comprehensively evaluate the potential association between CRS and stroke.

Rhinosinusitis and Stroke: A Systematic Review

Rhinosinusitis is one of the most common inflammatory diseases. It has been recognized that intracranial vessels are involved and there might be an association with stroke occurrence. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between rhinosinusitis and cardiovascular diseases, especially stroke, through a literature review. The review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. We performed on PubMed a literature search from February 2000 to February 2022, using the search terms 'rhinosinusitis' OR 'chronic rhinosinusitis' AND 'stroke' OR 'ischemic stroke'. Fourteen studies were eligible and included in the analysis. Overall, the studies encompassed a total of 1,006,338 patients included in this review. All studies concluded that there is a statistically significant correlation between clinical or radiological sinus inflammation and the risk of stroke, which is independent of traditional stroke risk factors. In conclusion, rhinosinusitis is associated with an increased incidence of stroke.

Sphenoid sinusitis: a rare cause of ischaemic stroke

We present the case of a 61-year-old woman who presented to the accident and emergency department with an ischaemic stroke, on a background of receiving intravenous and oral antibiotics to treat chronic left sphenoid sinusitis. Initially presenting with right-sided weakness and aphasia, a diagnosis of acute ischaemic stroke was made. Antibiotics had been commenced 1 month prior to the ischaemic stroke. Imaging at that time showed changes in keeping with chronic sphenoid sinusitis along with a small dehiscence in the lateral wall of the left sphenoid sinus and thrombosis of the left superior ophthalmic vein. During that admission blood cultures grew Streptococcus constellatus, a member of the Streptococcus milleri group. We discuss the unusual aetiology of this stroke, the emerging evidence associating chronic rhinosinusitis with stroke and the complex multidisciplinary approach required for management in this case.

Maxillary sinusitis complicated by stroke

INTRODUCTION

Neurological complications of acute sinusitis are exceptional, but potentially serious.

CASE REPORT

The authors report the case of a 6-year-old diabetic girl who presented with middle cerebral artery ischemic stroke secondary to inflammatory arteritis of the left internal carotid artery in a context of bilateral acute maxillary sinusitis. MRI confirmed ischaemic stroke associated with carotid arteritis and complete obstruction of the maxillary sinuses. A favourable outcome was observed after endoscopic drainage of the sinuses associated with broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy.

DISCUSSION

This complication was probably due to spread of an infectious inflammatory reaction of the intrapetrosal carotid artery and its branches via the pterygoid venous plexus. To our knowledge, this is the first published case report of maxillary sinusitis complicated by stroke.

Mucosal cysts of the maxillary sinus in solid organ transplant population: computerised tomography follow-up results

BACKGROUND

The clinical significance of maxillary sinus mucosal cysts in liver and kidney transplant recipients remains unclear.

AIM

To investigate the course of maxillary mucosal cysts in liver and kidney transplantation patients.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective clinical study.

METHODS

Paranasal sinus computed tomography scans of 169 renal and 43 hepatic transplant recipients were reviewed. The incidence, size and growth characteristics of maxillary mucosal cysts in the renal and hepatic transplant population were noted.

RESULTS

Overall incidence of maxillary sinus mucosal cyst in transplantation patients was found to be 24.5%, with a male to female ratio of 2:1 (p<0.05). Follow-up views of 26 patients showed that the size of the cysts increased in 19, decreased in 4, and remained the same in 3 patients. Mean growth rate of the cysts was calculated to be 6.30 ± 7.02 mm(2) per month. Most of the cysts were located on the inferior wall of the maxillary sinus.

CONCLUSION

Incidence of the maxillary mucosal cysts in renal and hepatic transplant recipients does not differ from general population, but these cysts have a greater tendency to grow. Specific measures are not needed for isolated, asymptomatic maxillary mucosal cysts in transplant populations.

Chronic rhinosinusitis increased the risk of stroke: a 5-year follow-up study

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS

It has been recognized that chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) involves intracranial vessels and may be associated with stroke occurrence. However, the detailed epidemiological profile of stroke risk among patients with CRS is still not well understood. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the frequency and risk for stroke among patients with CRS by conducting a large scale population-based cohort study in Taiwan.

METHODS

All study cohorts were retrieved from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database. This study included 15,846 CRS subjects in the study cohort and 47,538 randomly selected subjects in the comparison cohort. We individually tracked each subject in this study for a 5 year period following their index dates to identify each subject that received a subsequent diagnosis of stroke. Stratified Cox proportional hazards regressions were analyzed to compare the 5 year risk of subsequent stroke following a diagnosis of CRS.

RESULTS

The incidence rate of stroke during the 5-year follow-up period was 10.65 (95% CI: 9.93-11.41) per 100 person years and 7.53 (95% CI: 7.18-7.89) per 100 person years for the study and comparison cohort, respectively. The covariate-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for stroke revealed that that subjects with CRS were more likely than comparison subjects to have a diagnosis of ischemic stroke during the 5-year follow-up period (HR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.18-1.53). However, there was no significant difference in the risk of subarachnoid hemorrhage (HR = 1.52, 95% CI = 0.94-2.47) or intracerebral hemorrhage (HR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.71-1.31).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with CRS were at higher risk for stroke occurrence during the 5 year follow-up.

Neurological complications with acute sphenoid sinusitis a surgical emergency?

BACKGROUND

Isolated acute sphenoid sinusitis is an uncommon sinus infection, frequently misdiagnosed and not usually considered in the differential diagnosis of acute severe headache, with the potential of serious neurologic complications.

OBJECTIVES

To describe two patients with acute sphenoid sinusitis who presented with acute onset of severe headache and consider the role of surgical management.

DESIGN

Case report.

SETTING

Tertiary care hospital.

RESULTS

Patient 1 developed right cavernous sinus thrombosis and permanent visual loss in one eye, requiring sphenoidotomy following failure of medical treatment. Patient 2 experienced failure of the medical treatment. However, sphenoidotomy abated all his symptoms without any neurologic sequelae.

CONCLUSION

It is important to be aware of acute sphenoid sinusitis in the setting of new onset severe headache, when imaging studies are unrevealing for intracranial pathology. Considering the serious consequences of failed medical treatment vis-à-vis the safety and efficacy of sphenoidotomy we propose surgical intervention at the time of diagnosis.