Immune deficiency in chronic rhinosinusitis: screening and treatment

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a prevalent disease with a high annual cost of treatment. Immune deficiencies are more common in individuals with CRS and should be especially considered in those patients who are refractory to medical and surgical therapy. Areas covered: We performed a literature search in PubMed of the terms "immunodeficiency" and "sinusitis" or "rhinosinusitis" from 2006 through March 2016. All abstracts were reviewed to determine if they pertained to human disease; relevant articles were evaluated in their entirety and included in this review. Expert commentary: CRS is a common disease; in those patients with frequent exacerbations or who are refractory to treatment, an immunodeficiency evaluation should be considered. Treatment includes vaccination, antibiotic therapy, immunoglobulin replacement and surgery.