Judicious antibiotic use and intranasal corticosteroids in acute rhinosinusitis

Most patients with symptoms of acute rhinosinusitis are treated with antibiotics. However, many cases of rhinosinusitis are secondary to viral infections and unlikely to benefit from antibiotic therapy. Inappropriate use of antibiotics in patients with acute nonbacterial rhinosinusitis contributes to the increase in bacterial antibiotic resistance. Consequently, safe and effective alternatives to antibiotics are needed in the treatment of acute rhinosinusitis caused by viral infections. Recent results from controlled trials have shown that intranasal corticosteroids, used in combination with antibiotics or as monotherapy in selected cases, provide significant symptom relief and resolution of acute rhinosinusitis. The use of intranasal corticosteroids in acute rhinosinusitis therefore might reduce the inappropriate use of antimicrobial therapy in acute rhinosinusitis.     

Janus looks both ways: How do the upper and lower airways interact?

Our understanding of the relationship between the upper and lower airways has greatly increased as a consequence of epidemiologic and pharmacologic studies. A consistent body of scientific evidence supports the concept that rhinitis, rhinosinusitis and asthma may be the expression of a common inflammatory process, which manifests at different sites of the respiratory tract, at different times. This paradigm states that allergic reactions may begin at the local mucosa, but tend to propagate along the airway. Central to the allergic diathesis is the eosinophil and its interaction with the airway epithelium. The implications of the interplay between upper and lower airway are not only academic, but also important for diagnostic and therapeutic reasons. Furthermore, there is significant overlap in symptomatology and pathophysiology for childhood sleep disordered breathing (SDB) and asthma. Recent evidence supports an association between these two conditions, but causality has not been demonstrated. Regardless, it is important to recognize the overlap and evaluate for the other condition when one is present. In children with poorly controlled asthma, the presence of SDB may significantly contribute to asthma morbidity and, as such, should be actively excluded. On the other hand, clinical evaluation for asthma should be considered in children with SDB.Future robust longitudinal research is needed to explore the association between upper and lower airway diseases using objective measures in children.     

Appropriate interslice gap for screening coronal paranasal sinus tomography for mucosal thickening

The objective of this study was to establish the appropriate interslice gap for screening coronal paranasal sinus tomography to identify sinus mucosal thickening. We reviewed 100 coronal paranasal sinus tomographic scans (interslice gap, 2 mm) that had been performed at our institution between January 2004 and November 2004 to evaluate rhinosinusitis. Digital photographs of all slices from each tomographic scan were taken. The intervening slices were eliminated to form six different sets of interslice gaps of 4, 6, 8, 10, 16, and 20 mm. The remaining slices for each set were moved to corresponding folders created on a computer to catalog each interslice gap. The same specialist evaluated each folder of interslice gap. The paranasal sinuses, the ethmoid infundibulum, and the frontal recess were evaluated for mucosal thickening. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of each interslice gap in detecting mucosal thickening were calculated by accepting the results of 2-mm-thick slices as the gold standard. The interslice gap of 2 mm was compared with that of other interslice gaps using the chi-square test for dependent groups (the McNemar test). The value of 20 mm interslice gap in detecting sinus mucosal thickening was found to be significantly low when compared with the interslice gap of 2 mm (P = 0.022). Using coronal paranasal sinus tomography, an interslice gap up to 16 mm may be used to detect sinus mucosal thickening. This article was presented as a poster at the 29th Turkish National Congress of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, May 26–31, 2007, in Antalya, Turkey.     

Non-infectious Inflammatory Lesions of the Sinonasal Tract

This review covers the histopathology and pathogenesis of non-infectious inflammatory diseases of the sinonasal tract, in particular, sarcoidosis, granulomatous vasculitides Wegener, Churg–Strauss), relapsing polychondritis, eosinophilic angiocentric fibrosis, chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal perforations. Molecular associations and mechanisms are emphasised to assist pathologists to put their observations into the context of clinical, genetic and environmental influences on patients’ diseases.     

布地奈德联合生理盐水鼻腔冲洗对慢性鼻-鼻窦炎的疗效及对鼻腔分泌物IL-6、IL-8、TNF-α的影响

目的 探讨布地奈德联合生理盐水鼻腔冲洗对慢性鼻-鼻窦炎(CRS)的疗效及对鼻腔分泌物白细胞介素-6(IL-6)、白细胞介素-8(IL-8)、肿瘤坏死因子(TNF-α)的影响。 方法 研究对象选自2016年2月至2017年5月收治的128例CRS患者,采取随机数字表将其分成两组,每组64例。对照组给予生理盐水鼻腔冲洗,观察组在生理盐水中加入布地奈德混悬液,比较两组临床疗效、治疗前后鼻腔分泌物IL-6、IL-8、TNF-α水平变化情况以及患侧鼻腔Lund-Kennedy评分、鼻窦CT评分变化情况。 结果 经过4周治疗,观察组总有效率为93.75%(60/64),与对照组71.88%(46/64)相比明显上升(P<0.01)。治疗后两组患侧鼻腔Lund-Kennedy评分、鼻窦CT评分均较治疗前显著降低(P<0.01),但观察组评分下降更明显(P<0.01)。治疗后两组鼻腔分泌物IL-6、IL-8、TNF-α水平均较治疗前显著降低(P<0.01),但观察组各项炎性因子水平降低更明显(P<0.01)。两组治疗过程中均未出现明显不良反应。 结论 布地奈德联合生理盐水鼻腔冲洗治疗CRS可显著缓解鼻腔炎症反应,改善鼻腔充血、肿胀等症状,疗效确切。     

药物治疗慢性鼻-鼻窦炎嗅觉障碍的疗效观察

目的 观察药物治疗慢性鼻-鼻窦炎嗅觉障碍的疗效。方法 对本院2006年1月～2008年8月26例慢性鼻-鼻窦炎（不伴鼻息肉）嗅觉障碍患者进行回顾性分析。减充血剂、抗炎、抗感染、黏液促排药物治疗20例,在此基础上给予全身激素及营养神经治疗5例,全身激素、营养神经及抗病毒治疗1例。治疗前后行嗅觉测试、鼻窦CT和鼻内镜检查。结果 本组26患者中24例治愈,治愈率92.00％,平均治疗时间25.64d。结论 以嗅觉障碍为主诉的慢性鼻-鼻窦炎,根据病因,选择正确的治疗方案,可获满意治疗效果。