RED-GREEN-BLUE COLOR ANALYSIS OF NASAL MUCOSA OF MIDDLE MEATUS IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF CHRONIC RHINOSINUSITIS WITHOUT POLYPOSIS (CRSSNP)

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Chronic Rhinosinusitis (CRS) can be defined broadly as a chronic inflammatory condition of the nose and paranasal sinus mucosa. There is need of a simple; easy to perform objective test that can make diagnosis of CRSsNP even in OPD settings. This prompted us to investigate use of smart phones as an objective method in cases of CRSsNP. OBJECTIVE- This study was done to analyse the color changes of middle meatus area by doing RGB analysis with Smartphone for objective diagnosis of CRSsNP. It was also seen whether severity of CRSsNP could be measured objectively by comparing RGB analysis to SNOT-22 score METHODS- Prospective, Observational, Analytical and hospital-based study of 75 patients presenting with symptoms of CRSsNP in the OPD setting RESULT- A total of 75 and 50 patients were included in case and control groups respectively. On further analysis, there was statistically significant difference in the color changes in the form of RGB values in CRSsNP and control group only at uncinate process (middle part) with R value (p=0.007), R value at middle turbinate (anterior end) (p <0.001) and B value at middle turbinate (anterior end) (p <0.001). CONCLUSION- This study concluded that R values at middle part of uncinate process and anterior end of middle turbinate along with B value at anterior end of middle turbinate may provide the diagnosis of CRSsNP objectively using the smart phone. KEYWORDS- Chronic rhinosinusitis, chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyposis, sinonasal outcome test, red-green-blue.