Antroscopy: current practice--a survey of UK otolaryngologists

The use of antroscopy by otolaryngologists in the UK was assessed by means of a postal questionnaire. A response of 70 per cent was obtained. Thirty-three per cent of otolaryngologists currently perform antroscopy; the principal reason for not using the technique being lack of suitable equipment. Twenty-four per cent of non-users believed that antroscopy would not alter their management of patients, and 19 per cent of all responders thought that antroscopy had no proven clinical role. Few surgeons recognized a role for antroscopy in the treatment of antral disease. Antroscopists preferred to operate on in-patients (73 per cent), under a general anaesthetic (60 per cent) and via the inferior meatus (66 per cent); 76 per cent consider that morbidity is insignificant. There is clearly a need for studies clarifying the role of antroscopy in clinical practice and to establish the cost-effectiveness of the technique.