Effects of sinus surgery on asthma in aspirin triad patients

The aspirin triad (nasal polyposis, asthma and sensitivity to aspirin) is a well-recognized clinical entity, also known as aspirin-induced asthma (AIA). The sinusitis associated with AIA is often difficult to treat and aggravates the asthmatic symptoms. In order to evaluate the surgical treatment of sinusitis in AIA, 22 patients who underwent sinus surgery were studied. Twenty patients (90.9%) got any relief of their asthma symptoms from sinus surgery. Postoperative pulmonary function test 1 year after surgery showed statistically significant improvement over the preoperative one. Three of 5 patients (60%) who used systemic steroids were able to eliminate or reduce their dosages. Also, 8 of 17 patients (47.1%) who were using inhaled topical steroids reduced their dosages and statistical analysis showed a significant difference in the doses of topical steroid used before and after surgery. Subjective evaluation of 20 patients (90.9%) indicated that the sinus surgery was effective for their asthma condition; showing from mild to marked improvement. For AIA patients aggravated by sinus disease, we recommend sinus surgery to improve the quality of life.