title: Sinonasal polyposis in the elderly.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The main end point of this investigation was to review our experience gained from 2009 to 2015 of treating chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) in elderly patients (≥65 years old) with functional endoscopic sinus surgery. Secondary aims were to analyze the prognostic variables for CRSwNP in elderly patients and to compare the demographic, clinical, laboratory, histologic, and prognostic characteristics of CRSwNP in elderly versus young adult patients (20-40 years old).
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-three consecutive elderly patients and 71 consecutive young adult patients with CRSwNP were enrolled.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant associations were found in the elderly group between CRSwNP recurrence and allergy (p = 0.037), CRSwNP recurrence and asthma (p = 0.017), and CRSwNP recurrence and acetyl salicylic acid (ASA) intolerance (p = 0.032) but not between recurrence and eosinophilic/noneosinophilic CRSwNP histology. Significant associations emerged in the young adult group between CRSwNP recurrence and asthma (p = 0.009), and ASA intolerance (p = 0.016), and serum eosinophil count (p = 0.02). The recurrence rate was also significantly higher for young adult patients with eosinophilic-type CRSwNP (p = 0.001). CRSwNP recurred less often in the elderly than in the young adult patients (p = 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present preliminary investigation found a lower recurrence rate after functional endoscopic sinus surgery for CRSwNP in elderly patients than in young adult patients. Further investigations on larger, prospective series are mandatory to support the hypothesis that, although eosinophilic-type CRSwNP is generally considered a variant at high risk of recurrence and that probably warrants stricter postoperative follow-up and adjuvant postoperative medical treatment, these considerations could not be applied to elderly patients.
authors.affiliation: Otolaryngology Section, Department of Neurosciences, Padova University, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brescia
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Barion
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pedruzzi
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cinetto
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giacomelli
authors.forename: Alfonso Luca
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Pendolino
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marino
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Manzato
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martini
authors.forename: Gino
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marioni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004724:Endoscopy; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D009298:Nasal Polyps / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D010256:Paranasal Sinuses / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012008:Recurrence; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult