Pulmonary Function of Patients with Chronic Rhinosinusitis and the Impact of Endoscopic Sinus Surgery

The aim of this study was to compare pulmonary function tests (PFTs) among control subjects and patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and to investigate the outcomes of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) on PFTs among patients with CRS.

Prospective study conducted from June 2015 to June 2016.

Tertiary referral hospital.

The study is based on 2 groups: adult control subjects (group 1, n = 25) and adult patients with medically resistant CRS (group 2, n = 25). PFTs were used to compare the lower airway condition between the groups. Another comparison in PFTs was made among patients with CRS at 1 week preoperatively and 1 month postoperatively to evaluate the effectiveness of ESS.

In group 1, all subjects had an FEV1/FVC ratio ≥80% (forced expiratory volume in 1 second / forced vital capacity) with a mean of 0.84 ± 0.07, as compared with group 2, from 61% to 70% for 5 (20%) patients, 71% to 79% for 10 (40%), and ≥80% for 10 (40%). FEV1/FVC was significantly lower in group 2 than group 1 (P = .04). At 1 month postoperatively, the FEV1/FVC values of group 2 was from 61% to 70% for 2 (8%) patients, 71% to 79% for 13 (52%), and ≥80% for 10 (40%). The mean FEV1/FVC was 0.9 ± 0.50, and these values were significantly higher (P = .02) when compared with preoperative values.

This study provides objective evidence that patients with CRS may have nonmanifest lower airway affection when compared with control subjects and that ESS is efficacious in the improvement of such affection.