OBJECTIVES-1. To measure the proportion of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) who experience clinically significant improvement after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) in a prospective, multi-institutional fashion. 2. To identify preoperative characteristics which predict clinically significant improvement in quality of life (QOL) after ESS. STUDY DESIGN-Prospective, multi-institutional cohort study SETTING-Academic tertiary care centers SUBJECTS & METHODS-302patients with CRS from three centers were enrolled between July 2004 and December 2008 and followed for an average of 17.4 months postoperatively. Preoperative patient characteristics, computed tomography (CT) scan, endoscopy score and pre-and postoperative quality of life (QOL) were collected. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed.

Objectives-To measure the prevalence of and identify clinical characteristics associated with poor olfactory function in a large cohort of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS).Study Design-Multi-institutional, cross sectional analysis.Methods-An objective measure of olfactory dysfunction, the Smell Identification Test (SIT), demographic data, clinical factors and co-morbidity data were collected from a cohort of 367 patients who presented with CRS at three tertiary care centers. Data was analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses.Results-Sixty-four percent of men and women aged 18 to 64 had olfactory dysfunction whereas 95% of patients ≥ 65 years had olfactory dysfunction (p<0.001); no significant difference was noted by gender. By multivariate logistic regression analysis, patients with nasal polyposis (OR 2.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3, 4.2; p=0.003) and patients ≥ 65 years (OR 10.0, 95% CI 2.3, 43.7; p=0.002) were at increased risk of hyposmia. Patients with nasal polyposis (OR 13.2, 95% CI 5.7, 30.7; p<0.001), asthma (OR 4.2, 95% CI 1.8, 9.8; p=0.001), ≥ 65 years (OR 15.6, 95% CI 2.3, 104.9; p=0.005), and smokers (OR 7.6, 95% CI 1.8, 31.6; p=0.005) were at increased risk of anosmia.Conclusions-Poor olfactory function is common in patients with CRS. Age, nasal polyposis, smoking, and asthma were significantly associated with olfactory dysfunction in patients with CRS. Neither prior endoscopic sinus surgery nor a history of allergic rhinitis was associated with olfactory dysfunction. Septal deviation and inferior turbinate hypertrophy were associated with normal olfactory function.

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The nebulizer and nasal spray devices tested in general showed limited penetration of the sinuses in both normal and postoperative patients. The device showing greatest promise for sinus penetration in normal patients was the vortex nebulizer, with an overall penetration rate in normal patients of 30% in the frontal, 30% in the sphenoid, and 10% in the maxillary. Understanding delivery patterns of topical therapies may be important in evaluating the efficacy of various topical treatment modalities.

The presence of GR mRNA and protein within the olfactory mucosa is consistent with a functional role for glucocorticoid hormones in the systemic regulation of olfaction. Furthermore, these studies suggest that corticosteroid medications may have direct effects on the cells of the olfactory mucosa in the pathologic state. The potential mechanisms whereby these hormones may act are discussed.