Do Eosinophilic Polyps Act as a Reliable Predictor of Olfactory Dysfunction and Postoperative Recovery in Chronic Rhinosinusitis? / 대한이비인후과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was 1) to assess differences in categories of olfactory dysfunction according to the pathological classification of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyp (CRSwNP) patients; 2) to identify the degree of olfaction recovery after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS); and 3) to identify the factors that predict the changes in olfactory status. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: The sample of the study consisted of patients with CRSwNP who underwent ESS with biopsy from January 2012 to September 2014. Seventy five patients were classified into eosinophilic CRS (ECRS) and non-ECRS groups. During an approximately five-month follow-up, the Korean Version of Sniffin' Sticks test II (KVSS II) was conducted on each patient to examine the difference between the preoperative and postoperative states of olfactory function. RESULTS: The ECRS group showed a statistical significant increase in the postoperative KVSS II scores when compared to the preoperative scores, while the non-ECRS group did not show any statistically significant change. For the anosmia category by KVSS II, the ECRS group showed significantly improved olfactory function test scores for the threshold, discrimination, and identification tests. CONCLUSION: ECRS and preoperative olfactory function status (anosmia) could be predictable factors of postoperative olfactory function.