A LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP-STUDY OF NASAL POLYP PATIENTS AFTER SIMPLE POLYPECTOMIES

A long-term follow-up study was performed on randomly selected patient s after simple snare polypectomies. There were 243 patients, of whom 2 11 underwent endoscopic examination. There were 154 males and 57 femal es and median age was 57.7 years. Median period of follow-up was 8 yea rs (range, 38-145 months). The median number of polypectomies was 1.6 (range, 1-15). Polyp eosinophilia was recorded in 97% of the cases. Fr om life-table analysis the 5-year rate for two or less polypectomies w as 80% (95% confidence intervals, 75-86%). Symptoms and findings were recorded at a median time of 56 months from the last polypectomy. At t his time 70% of the patients denied blocked nose or excessive secretio ns. Seventeen per cent of the group claimed loss of sense of smell, wh ile 28% stated that it was poor. At follow-up, large polyps were found in 3% of the patients, moderately sized ones in 30% and small in 42%. No polyps were visible in 25%. Patients with asthma (26%) had more po lypectomies than those without (median, 2.4 versus 1.4). Patients with a history of non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug intolerance (7%) had the highest number of polypectomies. Previous troublesome sinusitis a nd allergy seemed not to exert major influence on the number of polype ctomies needed. In the primary care of nasal polyp patients, the major ity only need minor or limited surgery or only medical treatment.