Evaluation of nasal mucociliary clearance after medical or surgical treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis

An evaluation of mucociliary clearance, with the use of rhinoscintigraphy and other objectives and subjectives measures, in medically and surgically treated patients with chronic rhinosinusitis, as well in patients with or without nasal polyposis, can add to the understanding of ciliary function and its role in the pathogenesis of chronic rhinosinusitis. Thirty-four patients medically treated and 21 surgically treated (FESS) patients evaluated with rhinoscintigraphy, CT-scans, and SNOT-20. Nine of the surgically treated patients had nasal polyps and studied as a separate group. Although the various groups differ on Lund–Mackay scores (H = 11.659, P = 0.003) and SNOT-20 results (F = 26.904, P < 0.001), a statistically significant difference between mucociliary transport velocity (MTV) values could not be found. Moreover, multiple linear regression could not prove a statistically significant correlation between MTV and other variables. The various groups of chronic rhinosinusitis patients cannot be differentiated on the basis of possible nasal mucociliary clearance alternations.