The role of CT and MRI in the diagnosis of chronic rhinosinusitis.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is one of the most common chronic disease conditions in the United States. Currently, diagnosis is based initially on clinical symptomatology and signs, but the final diagnosis of CRS should be confirmed by objective measures. CT of the paranasal sinuses is the most commonly obtained test to confirm or exclude a diagnosis of CRS. CT has been shown to be reliable, accurate, and effective in diagnosing CRS, but it also imparts radiation exposure. More recently, MRI of the paranasal sinuses has been explored as a diagnostic modality in CRS. Initial data suggest it may be a viable alternative to CT in the diagnosis of CRS. As clinicians are likely to begin to use MRI as a diagnostic modality in CRS, further studies are warranted with respect to its particular diagnostic validation.