Assessment of quality of life among patients with sinonasal disease as determined by an Internet survey based on the Rhinosinusitis Disability Index.

We conducted a survey to measure patient quality of life with the Rhinosinusitis Disability Index adapted for the Internet. Our target population was patients who were seeking information on sinonasal disease on the World Wide Web. Usable responses were obtained from 896 patients with self-diagnosed sinonasal disease. According to the survey responses, patients with chronic rhinosinusitis were significantly more bothered by their condition than were patients with allergic rhinitis. Also, women were significantly more impaired by recurrent acute sinusitis and chronic rhinosinusitis than were men. Ourfindings are consistent with the results of previous surveys conducted by means other than the Internet. This project represents the first quality-of-life survey of an unsolicited group of individuals with sinonasal disease. We believe that use of the Internet will allow researchers to obtain larger patient populations than is now typical with traditional means of survey dissemination.

Radiologic assessment of diseased mucosa of the maxillary sinus after functional endoscopic sinus surgery.

We attempted to evaluate postoperative mucosal changes and symptomatic improvement in 99 patients who underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery from September 1991 through August 1992. The patients were divided into 2-, 4-, 6-, and 12-month postoperative groups. Thickness of the maxillary sinus mucosa measured at the midpoint of the lateral sinus wall on a follow-up ostiomeatal unit computed tomogram (OMU CT) was compared with that of preoperative OMU CT. Postoperative endoscopic findings of the maxillary sinus and changes in presenting symptoms such as rhinorrhea, nasal obstruction, facial pain, headache, anosmia, epiphora, and referred otalgia were analyzed. Improvement in the diseased mucosa of the maxillary sinus, as evaluated on OMU CT, was observed in 69.7% of the patients, and such mucosal changes did not differ significantly among 2-, 4-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up groups. However, apparent mucosal changes exceeding marginal improvement was observed in 32.3% of the patients. The overall symptomatic improvement rate was 57.9% and improvement in endoscopic findings was observed in 46.3% of the patients. Although there was some discrepancy between radiologic and symptomatic improvement rates, symptomatic improvement was significantly related with radiologic improvement. It is suggested that removal of obstructive lesion in the ostiomeatal area might be beneficial in a seemingly early symptomatic improvement, but complete healing of the maxillary sinus mucosa as assessed by OMU CT might take longer than 12 months.