Sinonasal inflammation in COPD: a systematic review

Abstract

In this review, we demonstrate that patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) frequently report sinonasal symptoms. Furthermore, we present evidence that smoking on its own can cause nasal disease and that, in COPD patients, nasal inflammation mimics that of the bronchi. All this evidence suggests that COPD-related sinonasal disease does exist and that smoking on its own rather than systemic inflammation triggers the condition. However, COPD-related sinonasal disease remains to be characterised in terms of symptoms and endoscopic findings. In addition, more studies are needed to quantify the negative impact of sinonasal symptoms on the quality of life in COPD patients. @ERSpublications A systematic review of sinonasal inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Smoking and olfactory dysfunction: A systematic literature review and meta‐analysis

“…Another potential explanation for these results is that smoking is associated with reversible sinonasal inflammation . Inflammation in the olfactory mucosa is associated with olfactory dysfunction, and treatment of this is associated with improvement .…”

“…Another potential explanation for these results is that smoking is associated with reversible sinonasal inflammation. 38 Inflammation in the olfactory mucosa is associated with olfactory dysfunction, and treatment of this is associated with improvement. 39 Cessation of smoking may result in the resolution of acute or chronic inflammation, which would result in improved olfaction, consistent with the results of this study.…”

Rhinosinusitis symptoms, smoking and COPD: Prevalence and associations

“…Previous studies have shown that COPD patients often report sinonasal symptoms. However, recently, Håkansson et al in a systematic review of the literature suggest that, although the prevalence of rhinosinusitis symptoms is increased in patients with COPD, this association is ambiguous since smoking itself has several effects on the nasal mucosa. We have found that smoking is a confounding variable in the association between CPOD and rhinosinusitis symptoms.…”

Association of chronic nasal symptoms with dyspnoea and quality‐of‐life impairment in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

“…Nasal inflammation is present in healthy smokers and to a further extent in COPD patients, especially in those who continue to smoke . However, only a few studies with relatively small numbers of COPD patients assessed the frequency and impact of CNS on pulmonary symptoms and QoL A recent review underlined that more studies are needed to assess the impact of nasal symptoms on the QoL in COPD patients . Therefore, the present analyses were designed to investigate, in a series of well‐defined COPD patients, the prevalence of and risk factors for CNS, and their association with dyspnoea and QoL.…”