title: Trends in chronic rhinosinusitis research in the past three decades.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this work was to identify trends in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS)-related publications for the past 3 decades.
  
  
  METHODS
  Literature review was conducted using multiple terms, including sinusitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, chronic sinus disease, nasal polyposis, ethmoid sinusitis, frontal sinusitis, and maxillary sinusitis. Abstracts were divided into 3 decades: 1983 through 1992, 1993 through 2002, and 2003 through 2012. For each decade, we compared the total number of publications and journals, study design, use of validated outcome measures, quality of evidence, number of authors, country of origin, and clinical vs basic science.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 3406 abstracts were identified. There was a statistically significant increase in the number of publications with a 637% increase from 1983 through 1992 to 2003 through 2012 (p < 0.05). Likewise, the number of journals with CRS-related publications significantly increased during the study period (117 to 350; p < 0.05). Prospective studies increased (15.30% to 28.90%, p < 0.05) and retrospective studies decreased (33.00% to 17.36%, p < 0.05). Cohort studies were the most common type of design study (18.70% to 32.46%). In studies reporting outcome measures, the use of validated measures significantly increased over time (2.56% to 49.70%, p < 0.05). Although, the quality of evidence for most clinical publications for all 3 decades were grade C, the number and percentage of grade A and grade B publications increased significantly over time (0.99% to 7.23%, p < 0.05; 6.9% to 10.44%, p < 0.05; respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CRS-related publication quantity and quality have increased over the last 3 decades.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.|Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.|Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Departments of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Sarfaraz M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Banglawala
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.
authors.forename: Rodney J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Schlosser
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wenztel
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC.
authors.forename: Lewis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Overton
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.
authors.forename: Zachary M
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Soler
mesh_terms: D015706:Bibliometrics; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D012107:Research Design / Q000639:trends; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy
keywords: chronic sinusitis; endoscopic sinus surgery; outcomes; paranasal sinuses; sinusitis