Consensus on methodology of experimental studies in rhinosinusitis - a narrative review

Rhinosinusitis is one of the most common diseases today. Among diseases requiring treatment with antibiotics, it is the fifth most common. Acute rhinosinusitis is a significant medical problem that can significantly lower quality of life and can cause a large economic impact on society. Herein, we collected and analyzed data from several published studies regarding sinusitis with the aim of creating a sinusitis model. We included data from 786 studies published between 1996 and 2016 that came up on Google, Pro Quest Central or PubMed using the following keywords (or combinations thereof): "sinusitis", "rhinosinusitis", "experimental", "animal", "model", "rat", "rabbit", "guinea pig" and "mice". An appropriate sinusitis model must be established using the correct animal. Thus far, sinusitis models have been published in rats, mice, and rabbits, with rabbits being the most frequently used animal. These animals are used because the anatomy and physiology of their sinuses are very similar to those of humans. While these animals can be used in surgical models, it must be noted that prolonged stress can cause them high mortality rates. Several studies have used strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae to induce rhinosinusitis; however, it has recently been shown that other pathogenic agents can be used for this purpose as well. In this review, we presented several experimental sinusitis models in rats, mice, and rabbits. We hope that by presenting these methods, researchers may be better able to design and perform more useful sinusitis studies.