Bone involvement in chronic rhinosinusitis assessed by 99mTc-MDP bone SPECT.

To investigate the clinical significance of bone involvement in chronic rhinosinusitis, 99mTc-MDP bone single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was studied in 43 patients diagnosed as having chronic rhinosinusitis. Quantitative isotope uptake indices calculated on SPECT were compared between the patient and a control group, and between patients with a good postoperative outcome and those with a poor outcome. The patient group showed a significantly higher isotope uptake than the control group. The uptake of isotope in the ethmoid sinus areas in patients who had a poor postoperative outcome was significantly higher than those who had a good outcome. Our study suggests that patients with chronic rhinosinusitis have apparent bony involvement, and patients with more severe bone involvement may have a poorer treatment outcome.