title: Trigeminal sensitivity in chronic rhinosinusitis: topographical differences and the effect of surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known on endonasal trigeminal sensitivity in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). The aim of our study was to investigate changes in trigeminal sensitivity in patients with CRSwNP and the effect of functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) on trigeminal perception.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study was performed to investigate the trigeminal sensitivity at three different locations within the nose (anterior septum, anterior lateral wall, middle turbinate) using electrical stimuli. Therefore 45 CRSwNP patients were compared to 30 healthy subjects. Further, the effect of FESS was investigated in 31 patients before and 3 months after surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CRSwNP patients had a significantly higher trigeminal threshold at all tested locations than healthy subjects. The lowest trigeminal detection threshold could be shown at the entrance of the nose in healthy subjects and in patients with CRSwNP. Three months after FESS a significant improvement of trigeminal detection threshold was observed at the anterior nasal septum.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Protective function of the trigeminal system is preserved in CRSwNP patients. FESS seems to show beneficial effects on restoring sentinel function at the entrance of the nose.
authors.affiliation: Smell and Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Poletti
authors.affiliation: Smell and Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cuevas
authors.affiliation: Smell and Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weile
authors.affiliation: Smell and Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hummel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009298:Nasal Polyps / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D009666:Nose / Q000294:innervation*; D055696:Olfactory Perception / Q000502:physiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012119:Respiration; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D014276:Trigeminal Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult