title: Effects of radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma on the paranasal sinuses: study based on computed tomography scanning.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine if radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma causes mucosal disease of the paranasal sinuses.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was a retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was conducted at a tertiary care centre.
  
  
  METHODS
  A series of 69 newly diagnosed patients, without pre-existing sinus disease, who were treated with high-dose radiotherapy participated.
  
  
  METHODS
  The prevalence, severity, and time course of mucosal abnormalities were analyzed, as judged by consecutive computed tomographies (CTs).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The CT study revealed that 58.8% of the postirradiation scans had mucosal disease of the sinuses. The maxillary sinus had the highest prevalence (42.3%) without statistical significance (p = .10). The difference by McNemar test for two follow-up scans was not significant (p = .48) and by Kappa test was significant (p = .04). The relationship between the prevalence and the time course post radiotherapy revealed that it remained a high prevalence until after the 4-year follow-up scans.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study confirm that chronic sinus disease is a common late complication of radiotherapy and it persists for years. Thus, aggressive treatment is indicated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Changhua Christian Hospital, Taiwan.
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002648:Child; D005005:Ethmoid Sinus / Q000528:radiation effects; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008443:Maxillary Sinus / Q000528:radiation effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D010254:Paranasal Sinus Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D010256:Paranasal Sinuses / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000528:radiation effects*; D015995:Prevalence; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013101:Sphenoid Sinus / Q000528:radiation effects; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed