Angiogenesis and eosinophilia in the nasal mucosa of patients with different clinical phenotypes of chronic rhinosinusitis.

INTRODUCTION: Dense inflammatory cell infiltration and vascularization of the nasal mucosa are histological characteristics of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). We aimed to evaluate the association between eosinophilia and vascularization in the stroma of mucosal layer/nasal polyps (NP) and clinical parameters in patients with different phenotypes of CRS. METHODOLOGY: This cross-sectional study involved 33 patients who had CRS with NP without aspirin sensitivity (CRSwNP), 20 NP patients as a part of aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD), and 10 patients who had CRS without NP (CRSsNP), selected for surgery. Control group consisted of 31 subjects without nasal/sinus inflammation, selected for surgery of pneumatized middle turbinate. All patients were clinically scored before surgery for nasal symptoms, quality of life (QoL) outcome and findings from computed tomography scans. NP/nasal mucosa samples of participants were immunohistochemically stained for eosinophil infiltration marker BMK13 and angiogenesis markers CD31 and CD34. RESULTS: AERD patients had the highest level of immunoexpression for BMK13. The strongest staining pattern of CD34 was found in AERD group and the highest expression level for CD31 in CRSwNP group. We found a positive correlation between BMK13, impaired QoL and radiologically evaluated disease extent in patients with CRSwNP. Excepting CRSsNP patients, no correlation was found between the marker of tissue eosinophilia and markers of vascular proliferation. CONCLUSIONS: Patients from AERD phenotype have the highest degree of stromal eosinophilic infiltration and endothelial proliferation in comparison to other CRS phenotypes. Eosininophil infiltration marker BMK13 correlates better with the clinical parameters of CRS in comparison to the vascular proliferation markers.

Maxillary Sinus Lobular Capillary Hemangioma in a 15-Year-Old Boy.

Lobular capillary hemangioma (LCH) is a benign capillary proliferation with a microscopically distinctive lobular architecture, composed of small to medium-sized vessels of capillary type. Rarely, it originates from the mucosa of the nasal cavity, most frequently from the anterior nasal septum, turbinates, and nasal vestibule. Etiology is unclear, but previous investigations suggest that this lesion is associated with injury, hormonal factors, some viral infections, and therapy with some drugs. We present a case of LCH arising from the medial wall of the maxillary sinus in a 15-year-old boy, which was completely excised by preoperative embolization and endoscopic sinus surgery. To our knowledge, this is the second reported case of an LCH originating from the maxillary antrum. Etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment modalities of LCH were also discussed.

Evaluation of substance P and bradykinin levels in nasal secretions of patients with nasal polyposis with and without sensitivity to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Objective: The role of neurogenic inflammation in pathogenesis of chronic rhinitis is well known. However, very little is known about its importance in pathogenesis of nasal polyposis (NP), especially in form of NP which appears as a part of aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD). The aim of this study was to examine the concentrations of neuropeptides substance P (SP) and bradykinin (BK) in nasal secretions of patients with NP. Methods: Fourteen patients with NP as a part of AERD with mild persistent asthma, 14 patients with NP without aspirin sensitivity, and 14 control subjects without nasal inflammation (C) entered this cross-sectional study. Clinical parameters (symptoms, endoscopic, and radiological findings) were assessed. The concentrations of SP and BK were measured in the nasal secretion samples using commercial human enzyme immunoassay kits. Results: The concentration of SP in nasal secretions was significantly higher in NP patients without aspirin sensitivity and AERD patients compared to controls (p = .022; p < .0001, respectively), but higher in AERD than in non-AERD patients (p = .018). The level of BK in nasal fluid was higher in non-AERD and AERD NP patients than in controls (p < .0001; p < .0001, respectively), but also higher in AERD than in non-AERD patients (p < .0001). We found high positive correlations between BK in nasal fluid and Lund-Mackay computed tomography (CT) score in both non-AERD and AERD groups of NP patients. Conclusion: Our results suggest more intense release of SP and BK from the nasal mucosa in patients with AERD than in patients with NP who do not have aspirin sensitivity. The strong correlation between concentration of BK in nasal secretions and CT score suggests that BK in nasal fluid could be used as a marker for disease severity as measured by the Lund-Mackay score.

Choanal polyps in children and adults: 10-year experience from a tertiary care hospital.

PURPOSE: Choanal polyps (CPs) are benign, solitary, soft-tissue lesions extending towards the junction between the nasal cavity and the nasopharynx through the choana. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate clinical and histological characteristics of CPs in children comparing to adult patients. METHODS: Characteristics of CPs treated in our hospital (demography, main complaints, side, localization, surgical approach, histological characteristics, accompanying paranasal sinus diseases, association with allergic rhinitis, postoperative follow-up period, and recurrence rates) were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Seventy-eight patients with CPs were included, 22 (28%) patients in children and 56 (72%) patients in adults. We found no differences in the prevalence of main nasal complaints (nasal obstruction, rhinorrhea, snoring, and epistaxis) between the child and adult. In 27% children and in 7% adults, we found the oropharyngeal extension of CPs (p < 0.01). In 18% children and in 5.3% adults, we found the histological characteristics of an angiomatous CP (p < 0.05). The association with allergic rhinitis was more frequent in children (32%) than in adults (18%) (p < 0.05). In 32% pediatric patients and in 14% adult patients, we found the association with ipsilateral chronic maxillary rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps (CRSsNP) (p < 0.05). After the surgical treatment, we found the recurrence in 3 (14%) pediatric and in 5 (8%) adult patients, without the significant difference. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest some specificities of CPs in children comparing to adults. Oropharyngeal extension, association with allergic rhinitis and ipsilateral CRS, and the presence of angiomatous histological type of CPs are more frequent in the pediatric population.