Reproducibility of the three-dimensional endoscopic staging system for nasal polyposis.
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.
Sousa
Marcelo Castro Alves de
MC
Medical School of the Federal University of Minas Gerais.
Becker
Helena Maria Gonçalves
HM
Becker
Celso Gonçalves
CG
Castro
Mariana Moreira de
MM
Sousa
Nicodemos José Alves de
NJ
Guimarães
Roberto Eustáquio dos Santos
RE
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
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D011241:Prednisone