Intractable pediatric chronic sinusitis with antrochoanal polyp

It has been reported that pediatric chronic sinusitis with antrochoanal pol yp is difficult to cure because it tends to recur easily even with surgery. Therefore, in order to improve its cure rate, aggressive treatment combini ng polypectomy, intra-maxillary intubation through the inferior meatus, mac rolide administration, etc., was attempted. Thirty-seven sides of pediatric chronic sinusitis with antrochoanal polyp and 44 sides of chronic sinusiti s without polyp were evaluated after the same treatments. The mean age of p atients was 9.7 years, and the mean intubation period was 20 months. Since subjective improvements in children are questionable, the efficacy was eval uated strictly on the basis of X-ray alone focusing on the maxillary sinus. Twenty-four percent of the group with antrochoanal polyp showed 'excellent ' effect, i.e. almost complete resolution of the sinus findings, while 45% of the group without polyp showed 'excellent' effect, with a mean follow-up period of 3 years and 6 months. This difference was significant (P < 0.01, chi(2)-test). These results further document the intractableness of chroni c sinusitis with choanal polyp in children. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Irela nd Ltd. All rights reserved.