Clinical outcome of partial ethmoidectomy for chronic rhinosinusitis

Since its introduction endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) has been focused on the management of the ethmoids, differentiating between partial and total ethmoidectomy. The classification of the underlying process of ethmoiditis and the selection of the adequate surgical procedure are still open questions. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate a minimally invasive ESS procedure. We present a retrospective analysis of 112 cases of bilateral circumscribed ethmoiditis after partial ethmoidectomy performed by a single surgeon investigated by questionnaires and endoscopic follow-up. A comparison of symptoms and the subjective judgment of the patients before and after surgery showed that postoperative subjective scores of nasal obstruction and rhinorrhea improved in up to 90%, with no distinct differences between primary intervention (n=98) and revision (n=14). Ninety percent of all patients considered surgery successful. Signs of active rhinosinusitis were found in less then 20% of patients after partial ethmoidectomy. This demonstrates that partial ethmoidectomy is an effective treatment for CRS affecting only part of the ethmoid.