Correlation between patient-based questionnaires and computer tomography staging in chronic rhinosinusitis / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the relationship between the patient-based questionnaires and the computed tomography (CT) staging in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Quantitative data of 121 preoperative recruits with CRS were collected by using the Lund-Mackay CT staging system, a visual analogue scale (VAS), sino-nasal outcome test-20 (SNOT-20), and the medical outcome study short-form 36 items (SF-36). The patients were classified into several subgroups according to whether CRS was associated with nasal polyps (NP) or not, sex, duration of disease, and educational background. Correlation between the patient-based questionnaires and the CT staging were analyzed in the total cohort patients and subgroups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the total cohort patients, there were significant correlations between SNOT-20 and SF-36 (r = -0.561, P < 0.01), SNOT-20 and VAS (r = 0.743, P < 0.01), and SF-36 and VAS (r = -0.504, P < 0.01), however, the CT staging did not correlate with the patient-based questionnaires (P > 0.05). Significant but weak correlations were found between the CT staging and the patient-based questionnaires in the CRS with NP subgroup (CT vs SNOT-20, r = 0.318, P = 0.005; CT vs SF-36, r = -0.358, P = 0.002; CT vs VAS, r = 0.358, P = 0.002). Compared between CRS with NP and without NP subgroup, there were statistic differences on the Lund-Mackay CT stage and the SNOT-20 and VAS scores (t value was 3.249, -2.409, -2.957, respectively, all P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The patient-based questionnaires correlate well with each other, but CT staging correlated significantly but weakly with the patient-based questionnaires only in the CRS with NP subgroup. Nasal polyps do not appear to be responsible for the adverse effects of CRS on quality of life.</p>

Deep neck abscess: analysis of 50 cases / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To identify the predisposing factors of deep neck abscess and review diagnosis and treatment experience.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A respective review was conducted in 50 cases who were diagnosed as having deep neck abscess in this hospital from Jan. 1997 to Dec. 2002.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The causes of deep neck abscess were tooth diseases (3 cases), acute tonsillitis and laryngitis (8 cases), infection of upper respiratory tract (9 cases), foreign bodies in esophagus (14 cases), diabetes mellitus (5 cases), uncertain cause (11 cases). Among 21 cases of pus bacterial cultivation, 13 (64%) cases were positive. By different ways of drainage including neck-mediastinum incision, and use of large dosage of antibiotics, 46 six cases were cured and 4 cases died. Two died of massive hemorrhage of neck blood vessel burst, one massive hemorrhage of upper digestive tract, another infective shock.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Once deep neck abscess is diagnosed, early surgical drainage, appropriate use of antibiotics and control of complications and accompanying diseases are very important to improve the cure rate.</p>