Abstract
Although chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a multifactorial disease in a heterogenous group of diseases with different underlying etiologies and pathophysiologies, European and US studies proposed the classification into four categories, i) acute bacterial rhinosinusitis, ii) CRS without nasal polyps, iii) CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), and iv) allergic fungal rhinosinusitis. The histomorphological patterns of CRSwNP are characterized by Th2-driven immune responses including the predominance of eosinophils and mixed mononuclear cells with a relative paucity of neutrophils. Differing from European and US patients, Japanese patients with CRSwNP are thought to be subdivided into eosinophil-dominant, neutrophil-dominant, and eosinophil- and neutrophil-paucity types. The subclassified categories of CRSwNP were evaluated and supported by the clinical backgrounds such as disease severity, atopic status, recurrence, etc. Furthermore, the expression patterns of inflammatory parameters in each group were compared in order to clarify the immunological characteristics.
Treatment strategy for eosinophilic CRS is as follows. Selective patients showing extensive and massive sinonasal pathology were prescribed a 7-day course of oral predonisolone tablets before and/or after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). A short-term (3 to 5 days) of oral predonisolone was prescribed when olfactory acuity judged by self smell test was aggravated. Moreover, antibiotics were orally given in the presence of massive purulent nasal discharge. Bacterial infection may play a critical role of recurrent polyps and refractory symptoms during post-ESS follow-up. Moreover, worsening of sinusitis accompanies asthma exacerbation.
