Epistaxis and Staphylococcus aureus colonization in the nasal vestibule: is it a cause or consequence?
The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between epistaxis and nasal colonization of Staphylococcus aureus in a population of patients with recurrent epistaxis. A total of 361 men and women were recruited, 245 patients with epistaxis (114 had crusting in the nasal vestibule; 131 did not) and 116 control subjects. A microbiology swab was taken from the anterior nasal cavity of each subject. Staphylococcus aureus was found to be more common in the epistaxis group when compared with the control group with a percentage of 31.8% and 4.3%, respectively (P < 0.05). There was no difference in the prevalence of S. aureus between the crust and non-crust groups (P > 0.05). When positive cultures were grouped and compared according to season, it was observed that the positive culture with epistaxis was much higher (44.82 %) in the autumn period. Staphylococcus aureus colonization in the nasal vestibule is more likely to be observed in individuals who have recurrent epistaxis than in those who do not have. It seems that this colonization may have a role in the etiology of epistaxis. However, with an altered medium of the nasal vestibule after each epistaxis period, it is also possible to speculate that this colonization is may be the consequence of epistaxis itself.
From the Departments of *Otorhinolaryngology, †Clinical Microbiology, Çorlu State Hospital, Tekirdag; ‡Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Bozyaka Teaching and Research Hospital, Izmir; §Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Istanbul Medeniyet University, Istanbul; and ∥Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Medical Faculty, Eskişehir, Turkey.
Seckin
S
Ulusoy
Gulcin
G
Babaoglu
Tolgahan
T
Catli
Turhan
T
San
Cemal
C
Cingi
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004844:Epistaxis / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000382:microbiology*; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus; D055815:Young Adult