You searched for "allergy"
A new treatment for chronic rhinitis
The review paper looks at the efficacy of cryoablation of the posterior nasal nerve (PNN) to treat chronic rhinitis, an increasingly popular method of treating a highly prevalent and morbidity-inducing disease. Five studies were included in the meta-analysis, all dating...
More aggressive FESS for recalcitrant CRS is the key
This is an interesting paper assessing the effectiveness of endoscopic modified medial maxillectomy (MMM) in cases of recalcitrant chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), (the technique was also used for tumours, cystic fibrosis, FB, odontogenic disease and AFS) in 551 patients. The technique...
IL-25 and nasal polyps, another target
Immune response in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is mainly via type 2 T-helper (Th2) cells while Th1 cells characterise chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps (CRSsNP) immune response. CRSwNP is heterogeneous on a cytological level causing a varied response...
Surgery or medicine: when should we stop trying to be conservative?
Although most otolaryngologists would agree that surgery improves the outcomes of patients with CRS when medical treatment has failed, both Cochrane reviews state that there is no proof of improved efficacy of surgery over medicine – however, that was after...
Microbiome changes after endoscopic sinus surgery: all is not what it seems
As we keep fighting a losing battle with bacteria and antibiotics, it becomes clear that it is not about killing bacteria, not even diminishing the bacterial load, but rather about shifting the different types of bacteria that colonise and live...
Sinus surgery effects on asthma patients
Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and asthma are related. The authors identified a gap in the literature and designed this study with a relatively large sample size of 86 patients. They included patients with comorbid asthma and CRS with or without polyps...
3D is the future?
This is an interesting take on yet another way to incorporate modern technology into medical practice, and the novel use of a 3D printer to create a custom-made prosthesis for large and irregular nasal septal perforations. These prostheses have the...
Paediatric pituitary surgery - is it lagging behind?
Endoscopic sellar surgery, especially for adenomas, is a relatively safe, straightforward surgery with (mostly) reproducible results and few complications. However, the evolution of pituitary surgery was a long process, starting from open/transfrontal approaches all the way to transsphenoid to the...
FESS for recurrent acute rhinosinusitis: at last, some data
As noted in both the EPOS 2012 and in the (more recent) ICARS 2016, there is a paucity of evidence on the effectiveness of surgery for recurrent acute rhinosinusitis (RARS). The authors used a control group of patients with CRSsNP,...
Balloon dilatation is an effective adjunct
This is a good study design, sufficiently powered, comparing medical management to balloon sinus dilatation. All patients had failed medical management and were thoroughly assessed preoperatively with Lund-Mackay score confirming abnormal CT findings, SNOT 20 index score, chronic sinusitis score...
Sellar surgery – when to prepare for repair
Endoscopic sellar surgery, especially for adenomas, is a relatively safe, straightforward surgery with (mostly) reproducible results and few complications. One of the commonest complications is the creation of a CSF leak with the subsequent need for repair (there is usually...
