title: Biofilm in chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps: pilot study.
abstract: Chronic rhinosinusitis' pathogenesis is not completely established and there are some explanations for this disease, such as osteitis, superantigens, fungal-mediated hypersensitivity and, more recently, biofilms. There are no reports in Portuguese about biofilms in chronic rhinosinusitis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To reproduce a method for visualization of biofilms in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyps.
  
  
  METHODS
  Samples of ethmoid bulla of nine patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps without response to clinical treatment who underwent surgery were analyzed with scanning electron microscopy to evidence bacterial biofilms.
  
  
  METHODS
  A contemporary cross-sectional cohort study
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 55.56% (5/9) of the patients we observed biofilms by seeing three-dimensional structures, spherical structures surrounded by an amorphous matrix and water-channels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We reproduced a method for visualization of bacterial biofilms by scanning electron microscopy and evidenced its presence in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.
authors.affiliation: Otorhinolaryngology Division, Clinical Hospital, Medical School, Sao Paulo University.
authors.forename: Thiago Freire Pinto
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Bezerra
authors.forename: Francini Grecco de Melo
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Pádua
authors.forename: Allex Itar
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Eloisa Maria Mello Santiago
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Gebrim
authors.forename: Paulo Hilário Nascimento
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Saldiva
authors.forename: Richard Louis
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Voegels
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018441:Biofilms; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008875:Middle Aged; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009298:Nasal Polyps / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery