[Aerosinusitis. Part 2: Diagnosis, therapy and recommencement of flight duties]

Aerosinusitis more frequently affects the frontal sinus than the maxillary sinus and mostly occurs during descent. Sinonasal diseases and anatomic variations leading to obstruction of paranasal sinus ventilation favor the development of aerosinusitis. This Continuing Medical Education (CME) article is based on selective literature searches of the PubMed database (search terms: "aerosinusitis", "barosinusitis", "barotrauma" AND "sinus", "barotrauma" AND "sinusitis", "sinusitis" AND "flying" OR "aviator"). Additionally, currently available monographs and further articles that could be identified based on the publication reviews were also included. In part 2, diagnostic measures, drug therapy, balloon dilatation and endoscopic sinus surgery are presented, along with a discussion regarding when flight attendants and pilots are able to resume their work. Endoscopic surgery to expand the natural drainage pathways of the affected sinuses with minimal surgical trauma to the healthy mucous membranes is largely successful.