Treatment Outcomes in Chronic Rhinosinusitis Refractory to Maximal Medical Therapy: A Prospective Observational Study Under Real-World Conditions

Abstract

This investigation explored the outcomes of 4 standardized treatments in patients with refractory chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), despite recent maximal medical therapy (MMT). In a prospective observational study, we compared continued nasal steroids and irrigation (cNSI), repeated MMT (rMMT), pulsed nasal steroid inhalation (PSI), and endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). Between November 2015 and March 2016, patients with symptomatic CRS despite having received MMT during the year prior to symptom reoccurrence were offered 1 of 4 standardized treatments. Reflecting real-world conditions, patients selected their treatment option following physician counseling. Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22) scores were obtained before treatment, at the end of treatment, and at 2 months and 1 year following treatment. The mean (± standard deviation [SD]) duration since last MMT was 144 (±36 days). Of the 130 patients, 52 selected cNSI, 16 PSI, 19 rMMT, and 43 ESS. Mean SNOT-22 scores before treatment did not significantly differ between treatments ( P = .99). Overall, SNOT-22 scores decreased from 38 ± 2 before treatment to 20 ± 2 after 1 year ( P < .001), with a higher reduction for patients having CRS with nasal polyps than for those without nasal polyps (35 ± 2 to 15 ± 2 vs 41 ± 3 to 25 ± 4, respectively; both P < .001). Overall, no difference between the 3 medical treatments was observed (all P > .2). Post-treatment scores following ESS (19 ± 2) were significantly lower than for each of the 3 medical treatments (cNSI 26 ± 2, P = .004; PSI 27 ± 3, P = .026; rMMT 28 ± 3, P = .008). At 1 year following ESS, 26 of 31 patients were asymptomatic and did not require additional systemic steroids, compared to 25 of 50 patients following medical treatment ( P = .002). The investigated standardized treatments significantly improved SNOT-22 scores in patients with refractory CRS under real-world conditions. Both patients having CRS with and those without nasal polyps showed significant improvement in SNOT-22 scores, although a less profound effect was found among the latter group. Patients who selected ESS were less symptomatic during the first follow-up year than patients who selected medical treatment alone. Patients with refractory CRS did not benefit from an additional course of MMT in comparison to those who were treated only with cNSI.