The potential role of peak nasal inspiratory flow to evaluate active sinonasal inflammation and disease severity

Sci Rep. 2020 Jul 29;10(1):12674. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-69693-6.

Abstract

Although the pathophysiology of nasal polyposis is incompletely understood, rhinologists have seldom studied it with rhinomanometry or peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF) due to technical limitations and the perception that polyp size might impair reproducibility and the usefulness of recordings. The objective of this study is to assess how measures of rhinomanometry and PNIF relate to disease activity. Nineteen patients with polyps, 15 patients with chronic sinusitis without polyps and 11 negative controls were evaluated with active anterior rhinomanometry and PNIF. Sinusitis and polyp patients were re-evaluated after medical treatment. Polyp patients had the highest median Lund-Mackay score (14) and a median Johansen score of 1. PNIF and its variation after treatment were also lowest in this group (median 90 L/min before and after treatment; median variation of 0 L/min). Nasal resistance was similar between groups, and only correlated with Johansen score (Spearman = 0.517, p = 0.048) after treatment. Our study suggests that evaluating polyp patients using rhinomanometry and PNIF may provide useful and reproducible data. Several findings considered together suggest that polyp size is not the main determinant of nasal functional changes in these patients, warranting further studies to verify whether PNIF changes reflect sinus inflammation or merely airway obstruction.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Intranasal
  • Administration, Topical
  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones / administration & dosage*
  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones / therapeutic use
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Clarithromycin / administration & dosage*
  • Clarithromycin / therapeutic use
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Leukotriene Antagonists / administration & dosage*
  • Leukotriene Antagonists / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nasal Obstruction / diagnosis*
  • Nasal Obstruction / drug therapy
  • Nasal Polyps / drug therapy
  • Nasal Polyps / pathology*
  • Prospective Studies
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Rhinomanometry / instrumentation
  • Rhinomanometry / methods*
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Sinusitis / drug therapy
  • Sinusitis / pathology*
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones
  • Leukotriene Antagonists
  • Clarithromycin