Physiologic abnormalities in the paranasal sinuses during experimental rhinovirus colds

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Virology
• Otolaryngology

Background:

• Screening magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in healthy adults occasionally reveals paranasal sinus abnormalities.
• Rhinovirus is a common cause of upper respiratory tract infections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the occurrence and significance of paranasal sinus abnormalities during experimental rhinovirus infection in healthy young adults.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-four healthy adults underwent baseline MRI. Nineteen were experimentally infected with rhinovirus.
• Serial MRI examinations were performed on infected subjects who developed symptoms.
• Nasal secretion weights were measured and compared between subjects with and without MRI abnormalities.

Main Results:

• Six of 34 asymptomatic adults had baseline sinus abnormalities on MRI.
• Eighteen of 19 subjects became infected with rhinovirus.
• Four of 12 infected subjects with satisfactory serial MRI developed sinus abnormalities temporally associated with infection.
• Subjects with MRI abnormalities had significantly higher nasal secretion weights (22 gm/5 days vs. 5.5 gm/5 days).

Conclusions:

• MRI detected paranasal sinus abnormalities during rhinovirus infection, associated with increased nasal secretions.
• These findings suggest that sinus abnormalities may contribute to the pathogenesis of acute sinusitis in the context of common colds.