ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To validate the discharge, inflammation, polyps/edema (DIP) scoring system for the assessment of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) outcomes in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty patients with CRS were included in this prospective study. All patients were evaluated before and 2 months after surgery. Baseline measures and postoperative outcomes were evaluated using sino-nasal outcome test-20 (SNOT-20), visual analogue scale (VAS) symptom score and Lund-Mackay CT score (in baseline only). All endoscopic videos were recorded before surgery and in the end of follow-up. All videos were scored blindly by two rhinologistis using the DIP and Lund-Kennedy system for investigating the inter-rater and test-retest reliability, as well as the correlations with the existing subjective and objective scoring systems.SPSS17.0 software was used to analyze the data.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The average scores of VAS, SNOT-20, Lund-Kennedy, and DIP before and after surgery were listed below. Baseline, 29.73 ± 13.05, 24.43 ± 13.76, 7.70 ± 3.25 and 32.67 ± 13.48. Post-surgical, 13.60 ± 8.67, 10.40 ± 7.45, 5.03 ± 2.04 and 16.97 ± 8.37. All scores were declined significantly from baseline (t value were 7.43, 6.49, 6.88 and 10.93, all P < 0.001). The DIP system showed a higher inter-rater and rest-rest reliability than Lund-Kennedy system (interclass coefficient,ICC > 0.75). The Pearson analysis revealed that VAS scores were significantly correlated with SNOT-20 scores both in baseline and post-surgical assessments (r = 0.518 6, P = 0.003, and r = 0.546 7, P = 0.000). Before surgery, Lund-Kennedy scores were significantly correlated with DIP and Lund-Mackay CT scores (r = 0.937 5, P = 0.000 and r = 0.748 0, P = 0.000). DIP scores were significantly correlated with Lund-Mackay CT scores (r = 0.712 2, P = 0.000). After surgery,DIP scores were significantly correlated with Lund-Kennedy scores (r = 0.869 6, P = 0.000). But there were no significant correlations between subjective scores (VAS and SNOT-20) and objective scores (Lund-Kennedy, DIP and Lund-Mackay CT), (all P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The DIP scoring system shows substantial inter-rater and test-retest reliability.It is also significantly correlated with existing objective scoring parameters. It is suitable and reliable to use.</p>