title: A six-month analysis of frontal sinus drainage pathway in patients with frontal sinusitis after balloon sinuplasty.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The balloon catheter has been used for a decade to dilate paranasal sinus outflow tracts. The question is: how wide and how durable is the dilation of drainage pathways in patients in long-term observations after this procedure?
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of our study was to observe the changes occurring in the frontal sinus drainage pathway (FSDP) in patients with frontal sinusitis at least 6 months after surgery using balloon catheters in an isolated procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed and measured the FSDP width on computed tomography (CT) of 23 images before and after the use of balloon catheters. We also assessed mucosal changes using Zinreich's scale, and symptom improvements with the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-20).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A statistically significant difference in the width of the FSDP was found before and after sinuplasty in the study group (p ≤ .0016). On average, the FSDP increased by 24.1%. Clinically meaningful and statistically significant (p ≤ .0002) symptom improvement as indicated by the mean SNOT-20 score was observed. Mucosal changes were also statistically significant (p ≤ .0018) after surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings at least 6 months after follow-up indicated that the use of balloon catheters in an isolated procedure allowed durable modeling of FSDP and was associated with radiological and clinical improvements.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology , Division of Cranio- Maxillo- Facial Surgery, Military Institute of Medicine , Warsaw , Poland.
authors.forename: Kornel
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3717-5424
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Szczygielski
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology , Division of Cranio- Maxillo- Facial Surgery, Military Institute of Medicine , Warsaw , Poland.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Galusza
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology , Division of Cranio- Maxillo- Facial Surgery, Military Institute of Medicine , Warsaw , Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rapiejko
authors.affiliation: b Polish Academy of Sciences , Institute of Computer Science , Warsaw , Poland.
authors.forename: Mieczyslaw
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Klopotek
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology , Division of Cranio- Maxillo- Facial Surgery, Military Institute of Medicine , Warsaw , Poland.
authors.forename: Dariusz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jurkiewicz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005626:Frontal Sinus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Frontal Sinusitis; balloon catheter; frontal sinus drainage pathway; outcomes