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Background: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of nasal saline irrigation (large volume, positive pressure isotonic saline) in addition to standard treatment in patients with acute rhinosinusitis (ARS). Methods: This parallel, randomized controlled trial was conducted at a tertiary hospital. The adult patients with ARS (age ≥18 years) were randomly assigned to two groups. The irrigation group received 0.9% saline irrigation twice daily, using a 250‐ml squeeze bottle, in addition to standard treatment. The no‐irrigation group received standard treatment only. Patients were evaluated at baseline, 1 week, and 2 weeks. The quality of life, rhinologic subscore, symptom score, endoscopy score, and cure rate were compared. Results: Sixty‐one patients (30: irrigation, 31: no‐irrigation) were enrolled. There were 17 males and 44 females. The mean age was 41.06 years. Although both groups showed improvements, the improvement of each outcome was not different between the groups. Subgroup analysis by ARS subtype showed benefits of irrigation in the common cold subgroup; the improvements that were greater than control included: rhinologic subscore, intergroup mean difference −4.15 [95% confidence interval (CI), −7.49, −0.80] at 1 week and −5.23 [95% CI, −9.69, −0.78] at 2 weeks; combined symptom score −5.35 [95% CI, −10.55, −0.14] at 1 week and −8.02 [95%CI, −14.36, −1.70] at 2 weeks. Conclusion: The add‐on isotonic nasal saline irrigation using a large volume, positive pressure device did not add benefits equally for all ARS patients. The benefits of irrigation on quality of life and nasal symptoms were only observed in the common cold patient subgroup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Conventional functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) for frontal sinusitis treatment involves ethmoidal bullectomy, that is associated with damage to the surrounding structures. These complications can be overcome by minimally invasive FESS anterior to the ethmoidal bulla that allows ease in locating the sinus ostium, eliminating risk of injury to anterior skull base and nearby structures. This study aims to compare the efficacy of ethmoidal bullectomy versus intact ethmoidal bulla technique as an adjunct to FESS in frontal sinusitis management. Materials and Methods Forty patients, clinically and radiologically diagnosed with frontal sinusitis, were randomly divided into 2 groups: Group A (n=20; treated with FESS keeping the ethmoidal bulla intact) and Group B (n=20; treated using FESS with ethmoidal bullectomy). After detailed history and clinico-radiological examinations, diagnostic nasal endoscopy was performed, followed by FESS. Pre- and post-operative endoscopic and clinical assessment was done using Modified Lund-Kennedy Endoscopy (MLKE) Score and Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22) Questionnaire, respectively. Data was analyzed using software R version 3.6.3. Results Significant reductions in SNOT-22 (clinical improvement) and MLKE scores (endoscopic improvement) were seen within the groups from baseline to each follow-up visit and between the successive recall visits (p0.05). Complications were seen only in Group B. Conclusion Both, ethmoidal bullectomy and intact ethmoidal bulla technique, when used as adjuncts to FESS, showed similar improvements in frontal sinusitis patients. However, bullectomy was associated with greater risk of intra-operative complications.

Introduction Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) not only affects the overlying mucosa but also involve the underlying sinus bone termed as osteitis. The role of osteitic bone in severity and persistence of disease has received little attention. Thus understanding of this can help in formulating better treatment plan for CRS. We conceived this study with an aim to assess correlation of osteitis with severity of disease and short term disease outcome by examining the various parameters concerned with CRS. Material and Methods This prospective cohort study included 40 participants as clinically diagnosed CRS cases and 20 participants as controls. Various pre and post-operative parameters concerning CRS were assessed like pre and post-operative Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT) 20 symptom score, Lund-Kennedy endoscopy and Lund Mackay CT scores, bone density / Hounsfield unit (HU), radiological bone thickness and histopathological mucosal and bone grading. Correlation between osteitis and all these parameters were analyzed. Results Osteitis / bone grade was found to have statistically significant, moderate and positive correlation with the preoperative Lund and Mackay CT score and mucosal grade. The osteitis / bone grade was found to be weakly and positively correlated to the Lund and Kennedy score and weakly but negatively correlated to change in SNOT- 20 values (both statistically insignificant). Conclusion There are high chances of harbouring severe osteitis underneath high grade mucosal disease in CRS. Preoperative Lund and Mackay CT score can serve as a surrogate marker for osteitis. Symptomatic severity of disease does not correlate with osteitis. Osteitis affects disease outcome negatively.

The Skull Base Inventory (SBI) The SBI is a 41-item instrument developed to assess QOL after surgery (endoscopic or open) of anterior and central skull base lesions, both benign and malignant.6,7 This multidimensional instrument is comprehensive and covers both disease-specific and general QOL. Quality-of-life instruments in endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery - A practical systematic review Keywords: quality of life; Sino-Nasal Outcome Test; skull base; surveys and questionnaires EN quality of life Sino-Nasal Outcome Test skull base surveys and questionnaires 1264 1268 5 07/28/21 20210801 NES 210801 INTRODUCTION Technological advances have led to increased utilization of endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery (EESBS) for the management of anterior, middle, and posterior cranial fossa tumors. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Primary headache syndrome (PHS) patients frequently present to otolaryngologists with sinonasal complaints and diagnosis of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) due to symptomatic overlap. In this study, we compare demographic, subjective, and objective clinical findings of patients with PHS versus CRS. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed a database of patients presenting to a single tertiary care Rhinology clinic from December 2011—July 2017. Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT) scores and Lund-Kennedy endoscopy scores were obtained. Lund-MacKay CT scores were calculated, if available. Requirement of headache specialist management was compared between PHS and CRS groups. Patients with both CRS and PHS (CRScPHS) that required headache specialist management were compared to patients with CRS without PHS (CRSsPHS) and patients with PHS alone using Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were carried out to determine significant diagnostic thresholds. Results: One-hundred four PHS patients and 130 CRS patients were included. PHS patients (72.1%) were more likely than CRS patients to require headache specialist management (6.9%, p <0.0001). CRSsPHS patients had significantly higher Nasal domain scores compared to PHS patients (p = 0.042) but not compared to CRScPHS patients (p >0.99). CRScPHS (p = 0.0003) and PHS (p <0.0001) subgroups of patients had significantly higher Aural/Facial domain scores compared to CRSsPHS patients. PHS patients also had significantly higher Sleep domains scores compared to CRSsPHS patients (p <0.0001). Both CRScPHS and CRSsPHS subgroups had significantly higher nasal endoscopy scores (p <0.0001) and CT scores (p = 0.04 & p <0.0001, respectively) compared to the PHS group. Aural/Facial domain score of 4, nasal endoscopy score of 4, and CT score of 2 were found to be reliable diagnostic thresholds for absence of CRS. Conclusions: The SNOT-22 may be used to distinguish PHS from CRS based upon the Aural/Facial and Sleep domains. Patients with CRS have more severe Nasal domain scores and worse objective endoscopy and CT findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22) is the most commonly used disease-specific quality of life questionnaire in rhinology. The purpose of this prospective study was to translate and validate SNOT-22 into Finnish. Methods: The validation process followed the guidelines proposed for cross-cultural adaptation of health-related measures of quality of life. The study consisted of three groups: rhinologic out-patients (N = 96), FESS patients (N = 49) and healthy controls (N = 79). Out-patient and FESS groups completed the questionnaire twice (answers A and B), out-patients after two weeks and FESS patients after 3 months. Validity, reliability and responsiveness were evaluated. Results: The mean SNOT-22 sum score of the out-patient questionnaires were 35.3 points (answer A) and 32.4 points (answer B). ICC in out-patient group was 0.879. For the FESS patients, the mean pre- and postoperative (answer A and B) SNOT-22 sum scores were 46.8 and 21.9 points, respectively (p < 0.0001). The mean SNOT-22 of healthy controls was 8.9 points. The out-patients (answer A) and healthy controls had statistically significant difference in SNOT-22 scores (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: The results of our study show that the validated Finnish version of the SNOT-22 questionnaire demonstrates good validity, reliability and responsiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background  Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a common disorder, with up to an estimated 134 million Indian sufferers, and having significant impact on quality of life (QOL) and health costs. Despite the evidence favoring homeopathy in CRS being inadequate, it is highly popular. This trial attempts to study the efficacy of individualized homeopathy (IH) medicines in comparison with placebo in patients with CRS. Methods  A double-blind, randomized (1:1), placebo-controlled, preliminary trial (n  = 62) was conducted at the National Institute of Homoeopathy, West Bengal, India. Primary outcome measure was the sino-nasal outcome test-20 (SNOT-20) questionnaire; secondary outcomes were the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire and EQ-5D-5L visual analog scale scores, and five numeric rating scales (0–10) assessing intensity of sneezing, rhinorrhea, post-nasal drip, facial pain/pressure, and disturbance in sense of smell, all measured at baseline and after the 2nd and 4th months of intervention. Group differences and effect sizes (Cohen's d) were calculated on the intention-to-treat sample. Results  Groups were comparable at baseline. Attrition rate was 6.5% (IH: 1, Placebo: 3). Although improvements in both primary and secondary outcome measures were higher in the IH group than placebo, with small to medium effect sizes, the group differences were statistically non-significant (all p  > 0.05, unpaired t -tests). Calcarea carbonica , Lycopodium clavatum , Sulphur , Natrum muriaticum and Pulsatilla nigricans were the most frequently prescribed medicines. No harmful or unintended effects, homeopathic aggravations or any serious adverse events were reported from either group. Conclusion  There was a small but non-significant direction of effect favoring homeopathy, which ultimately renders the trial as inconclusive. Rigorous trials and independent replications are recommended to arrive at a confirmatory conclusion. [Trial registration: CTRI/2018/03/012557; UTN: U1111–1210–7201]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Priming is a psychological phenomenon where subconscious cues in the environment impact our behavioral responses in certain situations. Well studied in the worlds of business, marketing, and even politics, it is unclear how the priming phenomenon impacts patient perception of their own disease state nor how they report that perception using tools like the Sinonasal Outcomes Test (SNOT-22), used to measure that perception in chronic rhinosinusitis., Objective: To determine the impact of positive or negative priming on self-reported patient perception of their chronic rhinosinusitis disease using the SNOT-22 disease-specific quality of life instrument., Methods: Single-blind, randomized, prospective cohort pilot study of 206 consecutive adult patients with a clinical diagnosis of chronic rhinosinusitis presenting to a university rhinology clinic. Patients were randomized to receive "positive priming" (103) or "negative priming" (103) by reading a passage about the positive or negative aspects of chronic sinusitis and its treatment respectively. Patients were then asked to fill out the SNOT-22 and results between the two groups were compared., Results: The negative priming group had a higher median SNOT-22 score of 49 [IQR = 39] compared to the positive priming groups' score of 22 [IQR = 27], p < 0.0001), a difference of nearly three times the minimal clinical impactful difference (MCID). This effect was consistent regardless of age or sex of the patient. Subgroup analysis revealed a greater impact when priming was performed by the senior male attending regardless of patient age or sex (p < 0.001), while priming performed by the younger female research fellow had greater impact on older patients (>59 years, p = 0.001) and female patients (p = 0.003)., Conclusions: Priming impacts how patient's perceive their chronic rhinosinusitis as determined by the SNOT-22. It is imperative that the rhinologist understand this when using this instrument in research applications and in clinical decision-making for patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Purpose: The Sino-Nasal-Outcome-Test 22 (SNOT-22) questionnaire assesses treatment outcome and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). However, given the overlap between CRS and olfaction in terms of nasal function and the definition of CRS, a fundamental question arises: can patients with olfactory dysfunction (OD) stemming from other causes attain SNOT-22 scores similar to those seen in CRS, even in the absence of CRS? Our study aimed to explore whether OD arising from various postinfectious mechanisms challenges the disease-specificity of SNOT-22 for CRS. If so, could focus on scores within specific symptom domains of SNOT-22 prove valuable in distinguishing between different etiologies., Methods: The study adopted an observational, retrospective cohort design based on prospectively registered patients and related variables using the REDCap platform. 460 patients experiencing OD due to either (1) simple or (2) complex post-COVID-19, (3) postinfectious non-COVID-19, and (4) CRS, were included in the analysis., Results: The study revealed that the total SNOT-22 score lacks disease-specificity for CRS. This is evident, because complex postinfectious mechanisms resulting from COVID-19 can produce similar symptoms in patients. Notably, elevated total scores were primarily driven by high subdomain scores within the "sleep and cognition" domain., Conclusions: The application of SNOT-22 as a screening tool needs to be approached with caution, as the total score alone does not provide disease-specific insights. A more thorough exploration of the four symptom domains and the identification of distinctive scoring patterns within the clinical context may prove pivotal in effectively differentiating between various underlying causes., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The chronic rhinosinusitis patient-reported outcome (CRS-PRO) is a recently published disease-specific questionnaire designed for CRS patients, with fewer entries and ease of completion. This study aimed to translate the CRS-PRO questionnaire into Chinese and assess its reliability, validity, and responsiveness to provide Chinese patients with a more concise and efficient subjective assessment instrument., Methods: The Chinese version of the CRS-PRO was created through forward-backward translations and cultural adaptation. Here, 168 CRS patients (118 patients CRS with nasal polyps [CRSwNP] and 50 patients with CRS without nasal polyps [CRSsNP]) and 43 healthy individuals were enrolled. All participants completed the CRS-PRO, 22-item Sinonasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22), and EuroQol five dimensions questionnaire (EQ-5D) questionnaires preoperatively as well as 3 and 6 months after surgery., Results: The Chinese version of the CRS-PRO demonstrated good internal consistency, with a Cronbach's α of 0.813. It also exhibited a higher criterion validity (r = 0.65, p < 0.05) than the SNOT-22. A moderate association was found between the CRS-PRO and objective indicators such as the Lund-Mackay and endoscopic scores. Furthermore, the CRS-PRO, like the SNOT-22, could clearly distinguish CRS patients from healthy subjects (p < 0.01), as well as between the CRSwNP and CRSsNP subtypes (p < 0.01). Additionally, changes in the CRS-PRO exhibited a larger effect size compared to changes in the SNOT-22 (Cohen's d = 1.05 and 0.93 vs. 0.71 and 0.90 for 3 and 6 months, respectively, all p < 0.01)., Conclusions: The Chinese version of the CRS-PRO is a concise, reliable, and responsive instrument that can be utilized as a novel subjective evaluation tool for future clinical practice., (© 2023 ARS‐AAOA, LLC.)

Background: The 22-item sino-nasal outcome test (SNOT-22) is a frequently used patient-recorded outcome measure in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNPs). Objective findings of nasal polyps and paranasal sinus inflammation are frequently graded using nasal polyp score (NPS) and Lund-Mackay Score (LMS), respectively., Objective: To evaluate a novel, abbreviated, rhinology-focused, five-domain SNOT-5 questionnaire because we had anecdotally noticed a relative disconnect between SNOT-22 and endoscopy and imaging scores., Methods: We performed a retrospective, cross-sectional, single-center review of patients with CRSwNPs who had filled out a SNOT-22, along with post hoc-derived SNOT-5 scores, which were then assessed in relation to NPS and LMS., Results: A total of 129 patients were included in the analysis. SNOT-5 but not SNOT-22 scores significantly correlated vs either NPS (P < .005) and LMS (P < .001), whereas only SNOT-5 differed significantly when comparing the cohort's lowest and highest tertiles for mean LMS: 11.8 vs 16.8 (95% CI, 1.5-8.4; P < .01) and for mean NPS 12.4 vs 15.6 (95% CI, 0.5-5.9; P < .05)., Conclusion: In a retrospective, real-life cohort study of CRSwNP, there was a relative disconnect between the significant association of SNOT-5 but not SNOT-22 in relation to objective endoscopy and imaging measures. We, therefore, propose that further prospective intervention studies are indicated in CRSwNP to evaluate the SNOT-5 score including establishing the minimal clinically important difference., Competing Interests: Disclosures Mr Misirovs has no relevant conflicts of interest. Dr Chan reports receiving support from AstraZeneca for personal fees (talks) and meeting attendance (European Respiratory Society (ERS)). Dr Lipworth reports receiving support from AstraZeneca for grants (external supported research grant and multicenter trial), meeting attendance (ERS), and personal fees (consulting, talks); support from Chiesi for grants (external supported research grant), meeting attendance (British Thoracic Society), and personal fees (talks); support from Sanofi for grants (external supported research grant); personal fees from Glenmark (consulting, talks); and support from Cipla (consulting). The son of Dr Lipworth is presently an employee of AstraZeneca., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate the feasibility of functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) with supplementary surgical procedures in scuba divers with recurrent acute barosinusitis (RABS) and chronic barosinusitis (CBS). Methods: In this retrospective study, 25 divers were classified into RABS (n:11) and CBS (n:14) groups. The presentation of divers have been reviewed. The PNS CT images were scored according to Lund–Mackay (L–M) system. A score has been assigned to the extent of endoscopic procedures performed. The outcome of surgery and life quality were determined by SNOT-22 and dive-related questions (DRQ) tests. Results: The average L–M score was 3.8 ± 2 for RABS and 12.2 ± 3.4 for CBS groups. L–M score of CBS group was found to be statistically higher than RBS group (p < 0.05). The FESS score of CBS group (8.7 ± 2.4) was higher than RABS group (5.6 ± 2) which showed that the endoscopic sinus procedures were performed more extensively in CBS group (p < 0.05). The difference between the preoperative and postoperative SNOT-22 scores indicates that the degree of sinus symptoms improved better in RABS group than CBS group (p < 0.05). When DRQ test was evaluated, RABS group showed a better improvement in diving performance symptoms than the CBS group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that divers with RABS and CBS can be managed successfully with FESS and supplementary surgical procedures. The improvement in the RABS group was superior to the CBS group, a difference attributed to the severity of chronic inflammation in CBS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are questionnaires designed to assess a patient's perception of their medical condition. The 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcomes Test (SNOT-22), the Rhinosinusitis Disability Index (RSDI) and the mini-Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (MiniRQLQ) are validated PROMs commonly used to assess rhinologic conditions. The objective of this study is to determine if responses on these PROMs may be influenced by priming respondents with positive or negative health-related questionnaires., Methods: Nine hundred patients were prospectively randomized to one of nine groups. Groups A, D and G were positively primed prior to completing the SNOT-22, the RSDI and MiniRQLQ, respectively. Groups B, E, and H were negatively primed. Groups C, F, and I served as control groups, completing the PROMs without priming. Priming was performed by administering a survey designed to make patients think about their health-related quality of life in a positive or negative way., Results: Patients who were primed negatively had statistically significantly worse scores on the SNOT-22, RSDI and MiniRQLQ when compared to patients who were primed positively. When compared to the control group, patients who were primed negatively had statistically worse scores on the SNOT-22 and RSDI. There was no significant difference in scores between the positive priming and the control groups for any PROM., Conclusions: Priming subjects regarding their health-related quality of life impacts their responses on rhinologic PROMs. Further study is required to understand the clinical and research implications of this novel finding and to clarify the optimal manner for administering and interpreting PROMs.

Background: Dupilumab, an anti-IL4 receptor-α monoclonal antibody, was the first biologic to be approved in Canada for the treatment of Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps (CRSwNP). In phase III clinical trials, it has demonstrated to be effective in reducing nasal polyp size and the severity of symptoms, improve disease-specific quality of life, and to have an acceptable safety profile. This study aims to present long-term follow-up data on disease-specific sinonasal outcomes of patients with CRSwNP who have been treated with dupilumab for up to 3 years in a real-world setting., Methods: Retrospective review of electronic medical records of a single Canadian rhinology center evaluating disease-specific sinonasal outcomes that are routinely collected for clinical care. This study included all patients who received dupilumab for the treatment of CRSwNP and who had completed at least one follow-up visit. The Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT)-22 was used to evaluate treatment symptom improvement., Results: Ninety-nine patients started dupilumab therapy during the study period. The mean SNOT-22 at the start of therapy was 61.1 (±22.91) At the time of the review, 65 patients had completed 1 year of therapy, 40 had completed 2 years of therapy, and 18 had completed 3 years of therapy. The mean SNOT-22 score at these timepoints was 16.75 (±13.86), 15.02 (±14.40), and 10.22 (±11.56), respectively., Conclusion: This real-world study shows that in patients with CRSwNP treated with dupilumab, improvement in disease-specific quality of life seen after 1 year continues and can be maintained at 3 years of treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: S.J.K.: Site investigator for the LIBERTY NP SINUS-52 study. Prior Advisory Board member (Sanofi), Speaker bureau GSK, Sanofi. Research funding CIHR, PSI. A.L.: no conflict of interest.

Background: To assess the risk of depression in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) in a tertiary care center and the effect of treatment on depression scores., Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between November 2021 and June 2022 and included adult patients (≥14 years) with CRS. The validated Arabic or English Sinonasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were used before treatment and 3 to 6 months after surgery and maximal medical treatment. PHQ-9 scores were compared at baseline and follow-up visits. The relationship between changes in SNOT-22 and PHQ-9 scores were assessed using Spearman's correlation and simple linear regression., Results: Overall, 38 participants with a mean ± SD age of 32.7 ± 12 years were enrolled. CRS with nasal polyps (55.26%) was the most frequently seen condition, followed by allergic fungal CRS (31.58%) and CRS without nasal polyps (13.16%). Six patients (15.7%) had PHQ-9 scores ≥10, indicating they had major depressive disorder. PHQ-9 and SNOT-22 scores improved significantly after treatment (3.7 ± 5.8 vs 6.5 ± 6.9 pretreatment, P  = .001; 20.7 ± 20.5 vs 45.6 ± 28.9 pretreatment, P  < .0001, respectively). Mean ± SD change in PHQ-9 and SNOT-22 scores was -2.7 ± 7 and -24.9 ± 29.8, respectively. SNOT-22 and PHQ-9 scores were positively correlated ( r  = .522, P  < .001). PHQ-9 score change was significantly associated with SNOT-22 score change (β = .178, 95% confidence interval 0.12-0.23, P  < .0001)., Conclusion: CRS affects the quality of life and psychological well-being of patients. Patient-centered care with maximal medical and surgical treatment help overcome its deleterious consequences., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of azoximer bromide and surgery on the quality of life of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) without polyps. We also wanted to examine changes in the patient's emotional state and the nature of their complaints., Material and Methods: The results of using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22) questionnaire in patients with CRS without severe or moderate-severe polyps, before treatment and 3 months after treatment, are presented. Patients, depending on their choice, were treated with functional endoscopic intervention or a course of 6 mg/ml azoximer bromide (1 ml per day, a course of at least 10 days)., Results: The median [interquartile range] score for VAS in patients before azoximer bromide treatment was 6.7 [6.3; 7.05] points, after treatment 4.2 [3.50; 4.70] points. The median [interquartile range] of VAS scores in patients before surgical treatment was 6.4 [6.1; 6.9] points, and after 4.8 [4.50; 5.30] points. The median [interquartile range] of the SNOT-22 score before azoximer bromide treatment was 33 [32; 36] points, after treatment - 24 [22; 25] points. The median [interquartile range] of the SNOT-22 score before surgery was 34 [32; 36] points, after treatment - 19 [18; 21.25] points., Conclusion: Azoximer bromide treatment and surgery improve the quality of life of patients with CRS (according to the visual analog scale and all SNOT-22 domains) during a control survey after 3 months ( p <0.001). Surgical treatment has a stronger impact on the quality of life, which is more noticeable in the influence on the domains "Rhinological symptoms", "Extranasal symptoms", "Ear/facial symptoms" ( p <0.05). According to the domains "Psychological dysfunction", "Sleep dysfunction", surgical intervention had no advantages in affecting the quality of life, compared with taking azoximer bromide ( p <0.05).

Key Points: Elevated IL-5, IL-13, IL-33, and CCL2 correlate with lower UPSIT scores in CRS and AERD patients. Elevated IL-5, IL-13, TNF-α, CCL2, and CXCL-8 correlate with higher SNOT-22 scores in CRS and AERD patients., (© 2023 ARS-AAOA, LLC.)

Objectives: The Sino-Nasal Outcome Test 22 (SNOT-22) is a validated patient-reported outcome instrument to evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). There are no published normative SNOT-22 scores, limiting its interpretation., Methods: Symptom scores from 1,000 SNOT-22 questionnaires were analysed by principal component analysis (PCA) and exploratory factor analyses. Data were derived from a survey with 1,000 healthy Europeans (reference cohort) who were recruited using the Respondi panel for market and social science research. This subsample was quoted to the population distribution of the German Microcensus and selected from a non-probability panel., Results: The overall normative SNOT-22 score can be detected to be 20.2 ± 19.44. Male (18.49 ± 19.15) and older (> 50 years old; 18.3 ± 17.49) participants had overall lower SNOT-22 mean results than females (21.8 ± 19.6) and younger (21.4 ± 20.55) participants, indicating higher levels of satisfaction. PCA proposed two SNOT-22 domains ("physiological well-being" and "psychological well-being"), which explained 65% of the variance., Conclusions: These are the first published (German) normative scores for the SNOT-22 and provide a clinical reference point for the interpretation of data., (Copyright © 2023 Società Italiana di Otorinolaringoiatria e Chirurgia Cervico-Facciale, Rome, Italy.)

Objective: While general health may be influenced by sinonasal symptoms, their effects may be overshadowed by comorbid states which may be more serious. To assess the validity of this postulate, we measured the extent to which sinonasal symptoms and concurrent conditions influenced general health., Study Design: Observational outcomes study., Setting: Academic medical center, community care sites., Methods: Adults with sinonasal symptoms completed the 22-item Sinonasal Outcome Test, along with the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System global health short form. Comorbidities were categorized with the Deyo modification of the Charlson comorbidity index. Multivariate regression analyses were utilized to determine the relative impact of sinonasal symptoms and concurrent comorbid conditions on general health., Results: Data from 219 consecutive patients demonstrated that sinonasal symptoms were associated with significantly diminished general physical (β = -1.431, p < .001), mental (β = -1.000, p < .001), overall (β = -1.026, p < .001), and social health (β = -0.872, p = .003), regardless of the presence of potentially life-threatening comorbid conditions. Comorbid conditions included cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, connective tissue disease, peptic ulcer, diabetes mellitus, and hepatic disease. The effect of sinonasal symptoms was neither subsumed nor overshadowed by the effects of comorbid states. Nasal, ear, sleep, and psychological domain scores were also associated with general physical, mental, and global health while adjusting for the impact of comorbidities., Conclusion: Sinonasal symptoms have a substantial effect on general health which is not subsumed by the presence of potentially life-threatening concurrent comorbidities. These data may help support the importance of funding and resource allocation for conditions causing sinonasal symptoms., (© 2023 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation.)

Objectives: Patients with spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea can experience significant sinonasal symptom burden, leading to poor quality of life (QOL). The objective of this study was to investigate sinonasal outcome test-22 (SNOT-22) scores in patients undergoing endoscopic endonasal surgery for spontaneous CSF rhinorrhea and compare them to patients undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) for chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps (CRSsNP)., Methods: A multi-institutional retrospective review of patients with spontaneous CSF rhinorrhea and CRSsNP was performed. Pre-surgery and post-surgery SNOT-22 scores and domains were compared within each group. Improvements in SNOT-22 scores after surgery were compared between the groups., Results: Ninety-one patients were in the CSF rhinorrhea group and 105 patients were in the CRSsNP group. Within each group, surgery significantly improved total SNOT-22 scores, domain scores, and most of the individual symptoms. Comparing the 2 groups revealed similar improvements in total SNOT-22 scores ( P  = .244). The CSF rhinorrhea group improved more in runny nose ( P  < .001), postnasal discharge ( P  < .001), wake up at night ( P  = .024), and embarrassed ( P  = .002). The CRSsNP group improved more in sneezing ( P  = .027), nasal blockage ( P  < .001), decreased sense of smell/taste ( P  = .011), thick nasal discharge ( P  < .001), facial pain/pressure ( P  = .008), and the ear/facial domain ( P  = .010)., Conclusions: Patients with spontaneous CSF rhinorrhea experience significant symptom burden. Those who undergo CSF leak repair should experience significant improvement in QOL similar to patients who undergo ESS for CRSsNP as measured by SNOT-22.

Background: Total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) has been proposed as a method to reduce blood loss during endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). Impaired sinonasal visualization due to mucosal bleeding may be burdensome in cases of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with high‐grade inflammatory disease, suggesting a role for TIVA in that disease subgroup. Methods: A double‐blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted of adults undergoing ESS at a tertiary medical center. Patients considered for inclusion had high‐grade CRS defined as either sinonasal polyposis or a preoperative Lund‐Mackay score of ≥12. Subjects were randomized to receive either TIVA or inhaled anesthesia (IA) during ESS. The primary outcome measure was intraoperative visibility as rated by 3 blinded reviewers utilizing the 10‐point Wormald Surgical Field Grading Scale. Secondary outcomes included operative blood loss, complications, and change in quality of life evaluated by the 22‐item Sino‐Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT‐22). Results: A total of 72 patients were randomized into TIVA (n = 37) and IA (n = 35) study arms. Aggregate median (interquartile range) Wormald scores across all reviewers demonstrated a more favorable visual field with TIVA compared to IA (3.5 [2.4‐3.9] vs IA 4.1[3.0‐5.8], p = 0.0089). There was significantly less blood loss in the TIVA group compared to the IA group (200 mL [100‐450] vs 300 mL [200‐500], p = 0.046). Baseline patient characteristics were comparable between cohorts with no significant postoperative complications. No significant changes were detected between postoperative SNOT‐22 scores at 3 months (p = 0.278) and at 6 months (p = 0.396) following ESS. Conclusion: TIVA contributes to improved intraoperative visualization and decreased blood loss in patients undergoing ESS for high‐grade inflammatory sinus disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Approximately 20% of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) have comorbid obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Patients with undiagnosed OSA are at high risk for perioperative complications. The Sinonasal Outcomes Test (SNOT-22) Questionnaire is commonly administered to CRS patients, whereas OSA screening tools are less routinely employed. This study compared SNOT-22 sleep subdomain (Sleep-SNOT) scores among non-OSA CRS versus OSA-CRS patients undergoing ESS, and assessed sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of the Sleep-SNOT for OSA screening., Methods: Retrospective review of patients that underwent endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) for CRS from 2012 to 2021. Patients either carried a reported OSA diagnosis and completed the SNOT-22, or had undocumented OSA status and completed both STOP-BANG and SNOT-22. Demographics, questionnaire scores, and OSA status were collected. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve assessed cutoff scores, sensitivity, and specificity of the Sleep-SNOT for OSA screening., Results: Of 600 patients reviewed, 109 were included. 41% had comorbid OSA. OSA patients had a higher BMI (32.1 ± 7.7 vs. 28.35 ± 6.7 kg/m 2 ; p = 0.02), Sleep-SNOT (21.96 ± 12.1 vs. 16.8 ± 11.2; p = 0.021) and STOP-BANG (3.1 ± 1.44 vs. 2.06 ± 1.27; p = 0.038) scores. A Sleep-SNOT score of 17.5 had a sensitivity of 68.9%, specificity of 55.7%, and diagnostic accuracy of 63% for OSA detection (p = 0.022)., Conclusions: Sleep-SNOT scores are greater for CRS-OSA patients. The Sleep-SNOT ROC curve demonstrates a high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for OSA screening in CRS patients. A Sleep-SNOT score of ≥17.5 should prompt further OSA evaluation. The Sleep-SNOT may be considered as a surrogate OSA screening tool when other validated tools are not employed., Level of Evidence: Retrospective chart review, Level 3 Laryngoscope, 133:2029-2034, 2023., (© 2023 The Authors. The Laryngoscope published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.)

Purpose: To analyze as the primary endpoint the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the SNOT-22 assessing CRS severity and to compare the results with a version of the SNOT-8 obtained from the nasal domain items., Methods: Data were obtained from a prospective multicenter controlled study of dupilumab in adults with moderate-severe CRSwNP. EQUATOR and STROBE network guidelines were adopted. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to evaluate the accuracy of the model with the full (SNOT-22) and reduced (SNOT-8) item set to predict the severity outcome., Results: SNOT-22 demonstrated an AUC of 0.885 (95% CI 0.825, - 0.945), and sensitivity and specificity of 91.49% (83.92-96.25%) and 69.23% (48.21-85.67%), respectively. Interestingly, after stepwise items elimination good outcomes were reported for SNOT-8, with an AUC of 0.818 (95% CI 0.744-0.892), achieving a sensitivity of 93.51% (85.49-97.86%) and specificity of 57.14% (40.96-72.28%)., Conclusion: Psychometric analyses support the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the nasal domains of SNOT-22 to assess the impact on HRQoL in patients with CRSwNP., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: To validate the sino-nasal outcome test (SNOT-22) as an outcome measure for nasal obstruction, and to determine if it correlates with the nasal obstruction and septoplasty effectiveness (NOSE) scale., Study Design: Prospective cohort study., Methods: All patients presenting to our otolaryngology clinic for nasal obstruction secondary to nasal septal deviation and/or inferior turbinate hypertrophy between August 2020 and June 2022 were asked to fill both the SNOT-22 and the NOSE questionnaires. Demographics and comorbidities were reviewed. Patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) were excluded. SNOT-22 total and subdomain scores were then compared to NOSE scores., Results: 126 patients completed both surveys. Average age was 42.6 years (range 13.8-78.3 years), and 40.5 % were female. 35 patients had septoplasty and inferior turbinoplasty (IT), 34 had functional septorhinoplasty and IT, 6 patients had IT, 7 had nasal septal perforation repair and 44 patients had medical treatment. Overall, SNOT-22 and NOSE scores correlated well preoperatively and postoperatively (r = 0.54, p < 0.0001; r = 0.68, p < 0.0001 respectively). The rhinologic and sleep SNOT-22 subdomains scores had the strongest correlation to NOSE score (r = 0.56, p < 0.0001; r = 0.64, p < 0.0001 respectively). Both NOSE and SNOT-22 scores showed improvement postoperatively [NOSE: 67.4 vs 25.1 (p < 0.0001) at 3 months, 69.5 vs 34 (p < 0.0001) at 6 months; SNOT-22: 37.1 vs 25.2 (p = 0.002) at 3 months, 38.1 vs 22.6 (p = 0.002) at 6 months]. No significant improvement in NOSE or SNOT scores was seen in the medical treatment group., Conclusion: SNOT-22 instrument can be used to study the outcome of treatment for nasal obstruction secondary to nasal septal deviation and/or inferior turbinate hypertrophy., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objectives: Spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea is a diagnostic challenge due to its overlapping symptomatology with other sinonasal diseases. The objective of this study was to investigate whether items on the sinonasal outcome test (SNOT)-22 could suggest a diagnosis of spontaneous CSF rhinorrhea versus chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps (CRSsNP)., Methods: A multi-institutional retrospective chart review of patients with spontaneous CSF rhinorrhea and a control group of CRSsNP patients was performed. Individual SNOT-22 scores and domain scores were compared., Results: One hundred fifteen patients were included in both cohorts. Of the patients in the CSF rhinorrhea group, 48% were misdiagnosed as chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) prior to the correct identification of a CSF leak. On bivariate analysis, the CSF rhinorrhea group scored significantly higher on the SNOT-22 for runny nose ( P  < .001) and was more likely to designate this symptom as most important ( P  < .001). The CRSsNP group scored significantly higher in nasal blockage ( P  < .001), thick nasal discharge ( P  < .001), facial pain/pressure ( P  < .001), and in the ear/facial ( P  < .001) and rhinologic ( P  = .003) domains. Multivariable logistic regression revealed that runny nose ( P  < .001) was most predictive of spontaneous CSF rhinorrhea while nasal blockage ( P  < .001), thick nasal discharge ( P  < .001), and facial pain/pressure ( P  = .001) were predictive of CRSsNP after adjusting for relevant confounders. No significant difference was observed in total SNOT-22 scores between groups ( P  = .676)., Conclusions: Spontaneous CSF rhinorrhea is commonly misdiagnosed as other sinonasal pathologies. However, individual SNOT-22 items can help aid in suggesting a CSF leak. Spontaneous CSF rhinorrhea should be suspected in patients who have high SNOT-22 scores for runny nose and report this symptom as most important, but have lower scores related to the other cardinal symptoms of CRS.