Quantification for Staging Sinusitis

TLDR

The rubric for scoring and staging extensive sinus disease includes recurrent acute sinusitis and chronic sinusitis, excluding isolated acute episodes. The authors propose a method to quantify symptoms, radiologic data, and endoscopic findings in extensive sinus disease to classify patients by severity and prognostic category. The method assigns simple numeric scores to computed tomography findings, surgical history, defining symptoms, and endoscopic appearance to quantify extensive sinus disease. The quantitative system can be rationalized into a staging system.

Abstract

A method of quantifying the symptoms, radiologic data, and endoscopic findings in extensive sinus disease is proposed. It is intended to enable clinicians to classify patients with extensive sinus disease according to severity of disease and prognostic category. The rubric of extensive sinus disease, for scoring and staging, comprises recurrent acute sinusitis and chronic sinusitis, but not an isolated episode of acute sinusitis. The method assigns simple numeric scores to specific computed tomography findings, elements of surgical history, presence of defining symptoms of sinusitis, and endoscopic appearance. This quantitative system may be rationalized into a staging system.