The use of SN-5 to differentiate chronic rhinosinusitis and chronic adenoiditis in children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Otolaryngology
• Rhinology
• Quality of Life Research

Background:

• Chronic adenoiditis (CA) and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) share overlapping symptoms in children, necessitating accurate diagnostic tools.
• Distinguishing between CA and CRS is crucial for effective treatment planning and improved patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of the Sinus and Nasal Quality of Life Survey (SN-5) in differentiating pediatric CA from CRS.
• To correlate sinonasal symptom severity, as measured by SN-5, with objective findings on CT scans.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of children (≤12 years) with chronic sinonasal symptoms.
• Patients were classified into CA (CT Lund-Mackay score <5) and CRS (CT Lund-Mackay score ≥5) groups.
• SN-5 scores were compared between CA, CRS, and control groups, with demographic data also analyzed.

Main Results:

• Children with CRS exhibited significantly higher mean SN-5 scores (4.53±0.77) compared to those with CA (3.49±1.00) and controls (2.03±0.71) (p<0.0001).
• CT Lund-Mackay scores clearly separated the groups, with CA having lower scores (2.70±2.07) than CRS (9.94±3.46) (p<0.0001).
• While asthma and allergic rhinitis prevalence differed among the three groups, these factors did not significantly distinguish CA from CRS in subset analysis.

Conclusions:

• The SN-5 survey is a valuable tool for distinguishing between chronic adenoiditis and chronic rhinosinusitis in pediatric patients.
• Higher SN-5 scores in children indicate a greater impact on quality of life, suggestive of CRS over CA.