title: Reproducibility of the three-dimensional endoscopic staging system for nasal polyposis.
abstract: Nasal polyposis is a chronic inflammatory process of the nasal mucosa, characterized by multiple and bilateral nasal polyps. Different drugs have been used in its treatment. In order to study the results of different treatment modalities it is necessary to have some kind of staging.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  to present a new endoscopic staging method, based on nasal endoscopy and on the three-dimensional nasal polyp assessment; and compare its reproducibility with that from two other systems already established in the literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three experts assessed the exams of 20 patients with nasal polyposis at different times, before, at 15 and at 30 days after the start of oral prednisone, 1 mg/kg/day, during 7 days. We assessed the agreement rate among the experts, using Kappa for statistic analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The three methods were reproducible, and the method hereby proposed had the least agreement among the examiners.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the three-dimensional staging system proposed proved reproducible, despite showing less agreement among the examiners than the other as the other two methods.
authors.affiliation: Medical School of the Federal University of Minas Gerais.
authors.forename: Marcelo Castro Alves de
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.forename: Helena Maria Gonçalves
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Celso Gonçalves
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Mariana Moreira de
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: Nicodemos José Alves de
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.forename: Roberto Eustáquio dos Santos
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Guimarães
mesh_terms: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D009298:Nasal Polyps / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D011241:Prednisone