Sometimes a short paper catches your eye! What causes chronic rhinosinusitis? What causes polyps? Fungi? Biofilms? Allergy? Maybe the lack of albumin? The two authors of this short paper present data that may suggest that the lack of albumin can enable tissue fluid to accumulate in the nasal lining contributing to the formation of nasal polyps. The idea is elegant and simple. They present data from 45 patients and 45 controls with and without polyp disease and their measurements of their albumin levels show a statistical difference between them. They relate not only albumin’s effects on osmotic pressure but also albumin’s nitric oxide carrying capacity to the possible pathogenesis of polyps. With so many causes postulated for sinus and polyp disease this may point to a further avenue for research.
Does albumin have an effect on nasal polyposis?
Reviewed by Stuart Burrows
Albumin levels in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.
CONTRIBUTOR
Stuart Burrows
FRCS (ORL-HNS), Wellington Regional Hospital, Newtown, Wellington, New Zealand.
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