ABSTRACT
Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is marked by inflammation of the paranasal sinuses and mucosal lining of the nose. CRS can be classified as CRS with nasal polyps or CRS without polyps. In recent years, there has been increased attention on the immunological role of vitamin D in treating CRS, coupled with the observation of vitamin D deficiency among CRS patients. Vitamin D is acknowledged for its immunomodulatory properties, especially in allergic conditions. Recent studies suggest that individuals with CRS, especially those with CRS with nasal polyps, frequently demonstrate lower than normal levels of vitamin D. We conducted searches across various databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and the Cochrane Library, both electronically and manually, to identify pertinent studies. Studies from 2003 to 2023 were included. Deficiency of vitamin D was considered with levels of vitamin D less than 30 ng/mL, and only original studies were included. Studies including patients taking vitamin D supplementation previously and patients with chronic kidney and liver diseases were excluded. We included nine studies that recruited 1,042 patients in total. More than half of the studies reported the presence of nasal polyps in CRS, and participants from four studies had CRS without nasal polyps. All of the included studies reported a negative correlation between levels of vitamin D and CRS. The majority of the studies depicted quite low levels of vitamin D among CRS patients. The degree of CRS severity as measured by endoscopic and radiological scores is moderately inversely correlated with vitamin D intake. Therefore, it is recommended that the relationship between various serum vitamin D concentrations and the severity of CRS be investigated in detail, along with an understanding of the cellular effects of vitamin D levels on the nasal mucosa.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Paranasal sinus mucoceles are epithelium-lined cystic masses usually resulting from obstruction of sinus ostia. They most frequently occur in the frontal and ethmoid sinuses. The etiology is not clarified, but the most common identifiable cause of mucoceles following functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS), trauma, neoplasms, and allergy. The clinical symptoms of mucocele vary and are not specific, the most common being ophthalmic symptoms and headache, impinging on adjacent orbital structures, and causing ophthalmic sequelae such as double vision, commonly followed by orbital swelling, epiphora, proptosis, and ptosis. All patients in this study had frontal and frontoethmoidal mucocele and initially complained of frontal headache and ophthalmic symptoms. Definitive treatment options for paranasal sinus mucoceles include external approaches and endoscopic marsupialization. Objective: The study aimed to identify the etiology, clinical presentation, most common para nasal sinus affected by mucocele, management, and the rate of recurrence in eight cases with mucocele of the paranasal sinuses. METHODS: Eight patients diagnosed with mucocele of the paranasal sinuses were admitted to our institution between 2014 and 2021. There were two females and six males aged between 14 and 67. Initial symptoms, duration, clinical presentation upon admission, location of the mucocele, type of surgical intervention, and outcome have all been studied. Results: The most common symptoms at diagnosis were orbital involvement, retrobulbar, and frontal headache. Most patients were diagnosed with frontal mucocele (40%), and three were frontoethmoidal mucocele at the time of presentation. The rest of the cases were diagnosed with ethmoidal mucocele (25%). The etiology was identified in four patients and was unclear in the rest. All patients underwent endoscopic sinus surgery. The most identifiable postoperative complication was a headache. CONCLUSIONS: The endonasal endoscopic approach is a safe and effective treatment for paranasal sinus mucocele and provides adequate drainage with a low recurrent rate.
ABSTRACT
Allergic fungal rhinosinusitis is an immunoglobulin E-mediated disease caused by fungal antigens. Orbital complications due to bone erosion by the expanding, mucin-filled sinuses are considered uncommon, but they require immediate intervention. We report a successful management of a complicated case of allergic fungal rhinosinusitis in a 16-year-old female complaining of progressive nasal obstruction for four months, who only sought medical advice after developing proptosis and visual affection. The patient underwent surgical debridement and corticosteroid therapy followed by dramatic improvement of proptosis and vision. The differential diagnosis of proptosis with sinusitis must include allergic fungal rhinosinusitis.
ABSTRACT
There is limited knowledge in the literature and lack of clear protocols among practitioners regarding preoperative steroids administration for patients undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). This study aimed to identify the practice patterns of rhinologists in Saudi Arabia as well as systematically review all health-related evidence regarding the use of preoperative steroids for ESS. A previously used questionnaire was modified and distributed in Saudi Arabia among rhinologists who finished their residency training. It entailed questions about their qualifications and preoperative steroids use, preferred regimen, and possible benefits. Also, a systematic literature review using four major databases was conducted to build a scoping view of the current evidence. A total of 94 subjects responded to the mailed survey. Of them, 72(76.6%) used preoperative steroids; 40 subjects believed that there is a strong supporting evidence while 32 reported that there is no solid evidence. The commonest indication was chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyp followed by allergic fungal rhinosinusitis. More than half of subjects (54.2%) preferred medium-dose prednisone (30-40 mg/day). A considerable number believed that steroids decreased surgical bleeding (n = 57, 79.2%), improved surgical field visualization (77.8%), decreased surgical time (77.8%), and decreased mucosal inflammation (61.1%). Thirteen studies including 1028 patients were eligible for the systematic review. Only three studies reported a statistically significant effect of steroids in reducing intraoperative hemorrhage, while only two studies revealed that steroids significantly improved surgical field quality. In two studies, steroids showed a significant effect in reducing eosinophil infiltration. There is a major number of rhinology experts using preoperative steroids for patients undergoing ESS but there is a wide variation among their practice patterns. The current potential advantages of steroids need to be supported by further large randomized clinical trials to establish clear guidelines.
