Correlation between objective criteria and subjective evaluation of symptoms in chronic rhinosinusitis

Introduction: We evaluated the possible correlations between the extent of inflammatory infiltration of the nasal mucosa caused by mechanical irritati on (septal deviation and hypertrophy of the middle turbinate) and nasal air way resistance measured by rhinomanometry and acoustic rhinometry. Subjecti ve evaluation of the nasal obstruction, rhinorrhoea and headache was done b y visual analogic scale and compared with the inflammation. Patients and methods: 40 patients with a more than 18 months' history of ch ronic rhinosinusitis associated with septal deviation and/or hypertrophy of the middle turbinate were included in the study. The density of inflammato ry cells (graded from + to +++, where + means few and +++ abundant inflamma tory cells) in the mucosa of the middle turbinate was evaluated histopathol ogically. Results: We found a significant correlation be tween subjective intensity o f nasal obstruction and inflammation (mainly lymphocytes) of the middle tur binate mucosa and the value of nasal airway resistance measured by rhinoman ometry. No correlation was found between the other parameters studied. Conclusion: Mechanical stimulation at the level of turbinoseptal contact ca uses inflammation in the mucose which correlates with both subjective nasal airway resistance and rhinomanometry values.