Lana Jurlin1, Tomislav Gregurić2, Tomislav Baudoin3, Marko Velimir Grgić3, Leo Pažanin4, Andro Košec5, Glenis Scadding6, Livije Kalogjera3. 1. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, General Hospital Varaždin, Varaždin, Croatia. 2. Department of Radiology, University Hospital Centre Sestre Milosrdnice, Zagreb, Croatia. 3. Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Zagreb School of Medicine, University Hospital Centre Sestre Milosrdnice, Zagreb, Croatia. 4. Department of Clinical Pathology Ljudevit Jurak, University Hospital Centre Sestre Milosrdnice, Zagreb, Croatia. 5. Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Zagreb School of Medicine, University Hospital Centre Sestre Milosrdnice, Zagreb, Croatia, andro.kosec@yahoo.com. 6. Royal National TNE Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
Abstract
PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate the interaction between the overall severity of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) before treatment and subjective improvement following surgical or medical treatment. PROCEDURES: A group of 97 patients with CRS completed the visual analog scale (VAS) symptom score and the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test 22 (SNOT-22) questionnaire in the moment of their sinus computerized tomography (CT) scan. Data were analyzed via a 2-step cluster analysis based on gender, polyp presence, CT scan, and VAS scores for symptoms. RESULTS: There were 3 clusters: the first cluster comprised 37 female patients with CRS without nasal polyps (CRSsNP), the second cluster comprised 30 patients with CRS and NP (CRSwNP; 15 males and 15 females); and third cluster had 30 male patients with CRS without NP (CRSsNP). Different symptom patterns between clusters were identified. After adjustment for polyp presence, gender, eosinophilia (p = 0.021), and the SNOT-22 score (p = 0.005) were found to be better outcome predictors than the CT score (p = 0.26). CONCLUSION: Long-term patient satisfaction is significantly associated with the subjective symptom severity prior to treatment, i.e., postnasal drip and overall disease severity (SNOT-22 score), but not with the objective severity of the disease (CT score and inflammation).
PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate the interaction between the overall severity of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) before treatment and subjective improvement following surgical or medical treatment. PROCEDURES: A group of 97 patients with CRS completed the visual analog scale (VAS) symptom score and the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test 22 (SNOT-22) questionnaire in the moment of their sinus computerized tomography (CT) scan. Data were analyzed via a 2-step cluster analysis based on gender, polyp presence, CT scan, and VAS scores for symptoms. RESULTS: There were 3 clusters: the first cluster comprised 37 female patients with CRS without nasal polyps (CRSsNP), the second cluster comprised 30 patients with CRS and NP (CRSwNP; 15 males and 15 females); and third cluster had 30 male patients with CRS without NP (CRSsNP). Different symptom patterns between clusters were identified. After adjustment for polyp presence, gender, eosinophilia (p = 0.021), and the SNOT-22 score (p = 0.005) were found to be better outcome predictors than the CT score (p = 0.26). CONCLUSION: Long-term patient satisfaction is significantly associated with the subjective symptom severity prior to treatment, i.e., postnasal drip and overall disease severity (SNOT-22 score), but not with the objective severity of the disease (CT score and inflammation).