Eosinophilia in the ethmoid mucosa and its relationship to the severity of inflammation in chronic rhinosinusitis.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to analyze histopathologically mucosal inflammation in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis. In addition, we assessed tissue eosinophilia in relation to the severity of inflammation and to the computer tomographic (CT) findings.


METHODS
Forty-eight pathological sinus mucosa specimens obtained during functional endoscopic sinus surgery were stained by hematoxvlin and eosin. Total inflammatory cells and eosinophils were quantified. The preoperative CT scans were scored by the staging system of Lund-MacKay.


RESULTS
The grade of the eosinophilic infiltration in the diseased sinus mucosa correlated significantly with the severity of the mucosal inflammation. Allergy or asthma had no effect on the proportion of the eosinophilic infiltrate. The CT scan scores assessed by the Lund-MacKay system correlated significantly with the severity of the inflammatory cellular infiltrate. The correlation between the CT scan scores and the eosinophilic infiltrate of the mucosa was close to significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Eosinophilic mucosal inflammation represents the most severe inflammatory changes of the mucosa. Twenty to forty percent of the patients with chronic rhinosinusitis had no eosinophilic inflammation of the mucosa. The CT-staging system of Lund-Mackay correlated with the extent of mucosal inflammation.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Brussels Free University, Belgium.
Eva
E
Szucs
Saied
S
Ravandi
Anita
A
Goossens
Mieke
M
Beel
Peter A R
PA
Clement
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002908:Chronic Disease; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D005005:Ethmoid Sinus; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D011336:Probability; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed