title: Microbiology of middle meatus in chronic rhinosinusitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nasal endoscopy allows the collection of middle meatus secretion samples and is an alternative method for determining microorganisms in rhinosinusitis. This study assessed endoscopically collected middle meatus secretions in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and compared those findings with ipsilateral maxillary sinus aspirates and microbiological data of healthy individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Middle meatus samples were collected from 114 CRS patients for aerobic, anaerobic, and fungal cultures; maxillary sinus secretions were collected from 13 of these patients. Twenty-three healthy volunteers served as controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Aerobes were isolated in 86% of CRS patients, anaerobes were isolated in 8% of CRS patients, and fungi were isolated in 11% of CRS patients; the most frequent microorganisms were Staphylococcus aureus (36%), coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (20%), and Streptococcus pneumoniae (17%). Middle meatus and maxillary sinus cultures presented the same pathogens in 80% of cases. In healthy individuals, coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (56%), S. aureus (39%), and S. pneumoniae (9%) were the most frequent isolates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The culture of endoscopically collected middle meatus secretions is effective in identifying microorganisms in CRS patients.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Araujo
authors.forename: Bruno C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Palombini
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cantarelli
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Afonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mariante
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000382:microbiology; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D005658:Fungi / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes; D008297:Male; D008443:Maxillary Sinus / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000382:microbiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D013223:Statistics as Topic