Preoperative Sinonasal Computed Tomography Score in Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps

Polyps' Extension and Recurrence in Different Endotypes of Chronic Rhinosinusitis: A Series of 449 Consecutive Patients

Different inflammatory endotypes reflect the heterogeneity of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps' (CRSwNPs) clinical presentation. This retrospective study aimed to analyze the distribution of polyps in nasal cavities and paranasal sinuses to establish a possible association between CRSwNP endotypes, prognosis, and polyps' extension. This study included 449 adult patients who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery for CRSwNPs between 2009 and 2022. Patients were categorized based on the number of paranasal sinuses involved by polyps. Statistical analyses, including Cox regression, were performed to identify associations between demographic, clinical, and histopathological factors and disease recurrence. CRSwNP patients were stratified into four groups based on the extent of polyp involvement. Asthma and acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) sensitivity were associated with more sinuses involved (p-values = 0.0003 and 0.0037, respectively). Blood eosinophil counts increased with the number of sinuses affected (p-value < 0.0001). The distribution of eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic histotypes varied significantly among these groups (p-value < 0.0001). The risk of CRSwNP recurrence was higher in patients with asthma, higher basophil percentages, and eosinophilic histotype (p-value 0.0104, 0.0001, 0.0118, and 0.0104, respectively). This study suggests a positive association between the number of paranasal sinuses involved by polyps and the severity of CRSwNPs, particularly in patients with eosinophilic histotype, asthma, and ASA sensitivity.

The centripetal endoscopic sinus surgery in patients with cystic fibrosis: A preliminary study

OBJECTIVES

The main aim of this study is to analyze the possible differences between clinical, demographic or genetic characteristics, in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with different phenotype. The secondary objective is to describe the possible benefit of surgery with Centripetal Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (CESS).

METHODS

The study includes 56 who performed CT scan of the paranasal sinuses. They were divided in 3 group according to phenotype: CRS without Nasal Polyps (NP); CRS with NP; CRS complicated with Mucocele. The clinical symptoms, age, gender, genotype, microbial colonization and pulmonary disease stage were collected and analyzed to assess possible statistically significant differences. Regarding the 7 patients who performed CESS surgery, the number of hospitalizations, intravenous (iv) antibiotic courses, respiratory exacerbations, the FEV1, the Lund-Mackay Score (LMS) and the SNOT 22 were evaluated before and 1 year after surgery.

RESULTS

No statistically significant differences regarding clinical symptoms between the 3 groups were identified (p > 0.05). Furthermore, there were no differences in age, gender, genotype, microbial colonization and pulmonary disease stage (p > 0.05). Regarding the patients who performed CESS, no significative difference in FEV1 progression was found. A reduction in hospitalization, pulmonary exacerbation and in the number of iv antibiotic courses resulted statistically significant different (p = 0.004; <0.001 and <0.001 respectively). A significant improvement in SNOT-22 and LMS (p < 0.001) was obtained.

CONCLUSION

Radiological monitoring of the rhinosinus disease is necessary regardless of the clinical expression of the disease. The presence of CRS with NP complicated by mucocele is frequent and independent of the patient's age and clinical manifestations. An extensive surgical approach could represent the gold standard for patients with CF in consideration of the potential important advantages to perform a total toilet of all the sinuses and nasal cavities and at the same time eliminating a potential microbiological reservoir.

The diagnostic importance of periostin as a biomarker in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyp

PURPOSE

The current studies in the literature report that periostin contributes to the formation of nasal polyps and may be a molecular biomarker for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). This study aims to investigate the effect of periostin in determining polyp burden in CRSwNP patients and evaluate its impact on postoperative surgical results and its functionality as a biomarker.

METHODS

The study included 26 patients who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery due to CRSwNP and 30 patients who were scheduled to undergo septoplasty due to isolated nasal septum deviation. We performed preoperative Lund-Mackay scoring and preoperative and postoperative SNOT-22 and Modified Lund-Kennedy scoring for the patients. Tissue and serum samples were collected from all patients in surgery and another serum sample was taken from CRSwNP patients at postoperative month 6.

RESULTS

Tissue eosinophil (p < 0.001), preoperative serum (p < 0.001), and tissue (p = 0.002) periostin were significantly higher in the CRSwNP group. We observed a statistically significant positive correlation between tissue eosinophil values and tissue periostin values in CRSwNP patients (p = 0.004). We found a statistically significant positive correlation between the tissue periostin values and postoperative SNOT-22 scores of the CRSwNP group patients (p = 0.005).

CONCLUSION

According to the results of our study, we think that periostin can be used as a biomarker in the prediction, determination of disease severity, and prognosis of CRSwNP. Comprehensive cohort studies with larger patient series are needed to provide more information on the role and effects of periostin in cases of CRSwNP undergoing surgical treatment.