[Patients with chronic rhinosinusitis: disease-specific and general health-related quality of life].
BACKGROUND
The negative effect of chronic rhinosinusitis on patient quality of life has been generally underappreciated and undervalued. So far, only a few studies have examined health-related quality of life at German language patient collectives with validated measuring instruments.


METHODS
Preoperatively, 163 patients were included into the study. Three months and 1 year after functional endonasal sinus surgery 123 and 82 patients, respectively, participated in the questioning. To measure health-related quality of life, we used version 20 of the German Adapted Version of the Sinonasal Outcome Test and the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36). The German normative values of the SF-36 were used for analysis.


RESULTS
Postoperatively, a significant improvement in health-related quality of life was determined on all scales of both measuring instruments. Comparing our data with the German normative values of the SF-36, we found a lasting approximation of the average assessment levels in seven of eight scales.


CONCLUSIONS
Functional endonasal sinus surgery leads to significant improvements in disease-specific and general quality of life in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.
Baumann
I
I
Universitäts-HNO-Klinik Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120 Heidelberg. ingo.baumann@med.uni-heidelberg.de
Blumenstock
G
G
Praetorius
M
M
Sittel
C
C
Piccirillo
J F
JF
Plinkert
P K
PK
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome