Outcomes in Treatment of Rhinosinusitis in the Setting of Medication Induced Immunosuppression

Abstract

Background There is no data currently available to direct nuanced treatment for recurrent acute and chronic rhinosinusitis (RARS, CRS) in patients on daily, long term medications that suppress the immune system. Objective This study sought to evaluate the outcomes of different treatment pathways when treating immunosuppressed patients with chronic rhinosinusitis or recurrent acute rhinosinusitis. Methods A retrospective review of patients on immune suppressing medication presenting to a tertiary care center with RARS or CRS between the years 2014–2019 was completed. Patients were categorized into three groups based on treatment: medical management alone (MM), surgery after medical management (SAMM), or upfront surgery (US). Lund-Kennedy scores (LKS) and SNOT-22 scores were evaluated at baseline, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months from presentation. Results 68 patients met inclusion criteria, with no difference in demographics between groups. Patients who were treated with US and SAMM had significantly higher baseline LKS than those who were treated with MM alone (p = 0.050, p = 0.039). Once this difference was controlled for, there was no significant difference in overall change of LKS between the three groups over time. There was no significant disparity in baseline SNOT-22 scores between the three groups, but patients who underwent US had a significantly higher improvement in SNOT-22 from baseline compared to those undergoing MM alone (p = 0.013). Conclusion Patients experiencing chronic rhinosinusitis and recurrent acute rhinosinusitis who are taking immunosuppressive medication can significantly improve from both medical and surgical management, but upfront surgical management appears to result in greater disease resolution relative to medical management in those with CRS. More study is needed in the RARS patient population regarding upfront surgery versus medical management.