Chronic panrhinosinusitis without nasal polyps: Long-term outcome after functional endoscopic sinus surgery

Abstract

Objective The goal of this study was to evaluate the long-term outcome after functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) for chronic panrhinosinusitis without nasal polyps by using symptom scoring and an endoscopic outcome evaluation. Study design Seventy-seven patients with chronic panrhinosinusitis without nasal polyps (Kennedy computed tomography [CT] scan stages I to III) were followed up for at least 3 years after FESS. Preoperative evaluation included a CT scan and an immunoallergologic evaluation. Three years after FESS, all patients were interviewed and scored endoscopically. Results Ninety-two percent of the patients showed a marked global improvement after FESS. The endoscopic control showed normal findings in 54% of all ethmoidal cavities. The postoperative endoscopic score correlated significantly with the subjective satisfaction ratings ( P < 0.001). The preoperative CT staging proposed by Kennedy was predictive for necessity of revision surgery in 15% of the patients. Conclusions Our data suggest that FESS for chronic panrhinosinusitis without nasal polyps has a good long-term outcome on subjective symptoms and endoscopic findings. Significance According to this study, subjective improvement correlates significantly with the postoperative endoscopic findings in the ethmoidal cavities of patients with chronic panrhinosinusitis without polyps at a long-term follow-up.