Study of factors responsible for recidivism in allergic fungal rhinosinusitis

Patients with allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS) are typically atopic and immunocompetent. Despite combined modality treatment based on surgery and immunomodulation, the potential for recidivism is well recognized. A study was conducted in a military hospital in India to identify the factors responsible for recidivism in AFRS and to suggest measures to overcome it. Sixty patients with AFRS (42 new cases and 18 cases that required revision surgery) were managed between January 2009 and July 2013. Patients underwent endoscopic, radiologic, and laboratory evaluation for AFRS followed by functional endoscopic sinus surgery. Each patient received oral prednisolone, 1 mg/kg/day, for 1 week preoperatively and 0.5 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks postoperatively. A randomly selected group of 30 patients (group A) received oral prednisolone 0.4 mg/kg/day for the next 4 weeks, tapered to 0.2 mg/kg/day for the next 2 months and to 0.1 mg/kg/day for the last 2 months. The drug was stopped after 6 months. In the remaining 30 patients (group B), oral prednisolone was tapered within 2 months. Topical steroid sprays were advised in all patients. Recidivism was observed in 12 of 42 (28.6%) patients presenting for the first time with AFRS: 9 patients from group B (30%) and 3 patients from group A (10%). Besides inadequate postoperative oral steroid therapy, suboptimal functional endoscopic sinus surgery, noncompliance with intranasal sprays, nonadherence to Kupferberg staging, inadequate follow-up, failure of surgeons to impart health education to patients, and unavailability of ENT consultation in rural belts were found to be factors causing recidivism.