[Sinusitis as a frequent cause of chronical bronchitis]

The pathophysiology of chronic bronchitis is not limited to pure infections as there may be a number of precipitating factors, like the air we breath, which is loaded with minute organic and inorganic particles that come into combination with soluble and insoluble gases penetrating through the respiratory ducts causing severe distant lesions or accumulation of secretions in upper respiratory tract that may be responsible for important disturbances in the ventilation producing repetition bronchitis. Such relationship is known as sinobronchial syndrome. This report includes 40 cases seen at the Hospital Infantil de México and studied in detail as to the pathophysiologic aspects. The results obtained were based on previous history, clinical picture, x-ray studies of paranasal sinuses and chest; bacteriological studies, hematologic and immunological aspects. The preschool age was the most frequent and males predominated over females. The outstanding symptom was coughing. Ten per cent of the patients were being treated as tuberculous and 8% as repetition amygdalitis. Out of the cases studied, 16 were operated (amygdalectomy) and out of these, antrostomy was done to 3, besides the administration of bronchodilators, antihistaminics, steroids and antibiotics of the penicillin type and derivatives.