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. 2011 Jul-Aug;25(4):205-8.
doi: 10.2500/ajra.2011.25.3613.

Association between severity of asthma and degree of chronic rhinosinusitis

David C Lin  1 , Rakesh K Chandra, Bruce K Tan, Whitney Zirkle, David B Conley, Leslie C Grammer, Robert C Kern, Robert P Schleimer, Anju T Peters
Affiliations

Association between severity of asthma and degree of chronic rhinosinusitis

David C Lin et al. Am J Rhinol Allergy. 2011 Jul-Aug.

Abstract

Background: There is a clinical association between asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). This study was designed to determine whether severity of coexistent asthma affects the clinical presentation of CRS.

Methods: Cross-sectional analysis was performed of prospectively collected data in 187 patients with CRS who were evaluated in a large, tertiary academic nasal and sinus center. Patients were stratified into three groups based on asthma status using National Institutes of Health criteria: (1) nonasthmatic, (2) intermittent/mild asthma, (3) or moderate/severe asthma.

Results: Mean Lund-Mackay scores were 9.7, 11.6, and 15.6, respectively. ANOVA testing with post-hoc Tukey analysis revealed that Lund-MacKay scores were significantly greater in group 3 than either group 1 (p < 0.05) or group 2 (p < 0.01). The prevalence of allergic sensitization was 72.4, 82.8, and 100% in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively (p = 0.03). The prevalence of nasal polyposis was 31.4% in group 1, 48.3% in group 2, and 94.4% in group 3 (p < 0.0001). No differences were observed regarding demographic factors or the incidence of the triad of aspirin sensitivity, asthma, and nasal polyposis among those with different severities of asthma.

Conclusion: Increasing severity of asthma is associated with advancing radiological severity of CRS and a greater prevalence of allergic sensitization and nasal polyposis. This large adult series shows that asthma severity may have a significant correlation with the presentation of CRS. This study adds to the growing support for the unified airway theory.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts to declare pertaining to this article

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Asthma severity and Lund-Mackay score.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Asthma severity and atopy percentage.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Asthma severity and nasal polyposis percentage.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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