Computed tomographic pulmonary changes in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Radiology
• Otolaryngology

Background:

• Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a common condition affecting the upper airways.
• Pulmonary manifestations in CRS patients are not well-characterized.
• Chest CT findings in CRS require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if chronic rhinosinusitis patients exhibit characteristic pulmonary changes on chest CT.
• To compare CT findings in patients with and without CRS.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective observational study of lung CT scans from 2012-2014.
• Two blinded radiologists reviewed 123 CT series for abnormalities.
• Statistical analysis using the chi-squared test (p<0.05).

Main Results:

• 59 patients had a CRS diagnosis; 64 were controls.
• CRS patients showed significantly higher rates of atelectasis, bronchiolectasis, centrilobular nodules, and ground-glass opacities (p<0.05).
• A predilection for middle lobe and lingular involvement was noted in CRS patients (p<0.001).

Conclusions:

• Atelectasis, ground-glass opacities, bronchiolectasis, and centrilobular nodules are frequent abnormalities in CRS patients.
• These pulmonary findings show specific involvement of the middle lobe and lingula on chest CT.
• Identifying these CT patterns can prevent unnecessary investigations in CRS patients.