Analysis of clinical characteristics of chronic rhinosinusitis in patients with postirradiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Abstract

To study the characters of chronic rhinosinusitis in patients with irradiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma. There were 65 cases of chronic rhinosinusitis after irradiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC, experimental group) and 65 cases of common chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS, control group) in the study. The visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the intensity of subjective symptoms. Endoscopic finding was recorded and CT results were evaluated by Lund-Mackay scoring system. As to the VAS, nasal secretion was significantly more severe in experimental group (7.86+/-1.62), compared with control group (5.12+/-1.32, t=10.541, P<0.01). As to endoscopic finding, middle nasal meatus were clean in 35 (53.8%) cases in experimental group, and 23 cases (35.4%) in control group (chi2=4.483, P<0.05). CT score was (7.03+/-4.63) in experiment group, and (11.42+/-3.32) in control group (t=-6.207, P<0.05). The main reason lays in lower CT score and lower involved rate of ostiomeatal complex, frontal sinus, maxillary sinus, anterior ethmoid sinus. The characters of chronic rhinosinusitis in patients with irradiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma is quite different from the common CRS and different therapeutic measures should be taken.