Modified CT Scan Scoring System for Evaluating Symptom Severity of Chronic Rhinosinusitis

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) severity is assessed using subjective tools like SNOT-22 and objective tools like Lund-Mackay (LM) CT scoring.
• Existing objective tools, such as the LM score, do not always correlate well with subjective symptom severity in CRS patients.
• A need exists for objective measures that accurately reflect the subjective experience of CRS severity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a modified CT scan scoring system (SN score) for assessing CRS severity.
• To correlate symptom severity (SNOT-22) with objective CT findings using both the Lund-Mackay (LM) and SN scoring systems.
• To determine if the SN score offers a more accurate objective assessment of CRS compared to the LM score.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, observational study included 150 adult CRS patients resistant to primary medical therapy.
• Symptom severity was assessed using the SNOT-22 questionnaire.
• CT scans were analyzed using both the Lund-Mackay (LM) and the modified SN scoring systems.

Main Results:

• The Lund-Mackay (LM) score showed a moderate positive correlation with SNOT-22 scores (r=0.466, p=0.032).
• The modified SN score demonstrated a highly significant positive correlation with SNOT-22 scores (p=0.000793).
• The SN score correlated better with subjective symptoms and provided disease severity grading compared to the LM score.

Conclusions:

• The SN CT scan scoring system shows a strong positive correlation with patient-reported symptoms in chronic rhinosinusitis.
• The SN score is a more effective objective tool for assessing CRS severity than the traditional LM score.
• The SN score can be utilized as a reliable tool for objective CRS severity assessment, potentially replacing subjective measures when needed.