Influence of nasal mucosa irritants on the occurrence of chronic rhinosinusitis without /and with polyps

Introduction: The aim of the study was to assess the effect of nasal mucosa irritants on the occurrence of chronic rhinosinusitis without/and with nasal polyps. Material and methods: The study involved 100 adult participants, including 39 women and 61 men, aged 21–68, diagnosed and treated at the Department of Otolaryngology, ENT Oncology, Audiology and Phoniatrics at the University Clinical Hospital WAM in Łódź. Based on the otorhinolaryngological and imaging (CT) tests they were divided into two groups: I – 50 patients, including 23 women and 27 men, aged 21–64 – with chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps, II – 50 patients, including 16 women and 34 men, aged 22–68 – with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. The control group consisted of 50 people (group III), including 25 women and 25 men, aged 18–30, students of the Faculty of Military Medicine at the Medical University of Lodz. All respondents completed a prepared questionnaire consisting of 17 questions addressed in the form of an anonymous interview among patients treated in the Department of Otolaryngology, ENT Oncology, Audiology and Phoniatrics. Results: The conducted surveys indicate the impact of the following factors in pathogenesis of chronic rhinosinusitis without/ with nasal polyps: exogenous factors (viruses, bacteria, fungi, drugs, injuries, toxic substances, environmental pollution), general endogenous factors (allergy, hypersensitivity to acetylsalicylic acid and its derivatives, hormonal disorders, supraesophageal reflux disease, granulation disease, immunity disorders, local endogenous factors. Conclusions: In the examined material, patients with chronic rhinosinusitis without/and nasal polyps in most cases are in the age range 51–60 years and over 60 years, they most often live in large cities over 250 thousand inhabitants, suffer from allergic rhinorhinitis in 38.0% in group I and 36.0% in group II, rapid temperature changes and dry air have a negative impact on comfort of breathing. The conducted surveys confirm that the cause of chronic rhinosinusitis with polyps is multifactorial, but a significant factor affecting typical tissue remodeling in this disease is long-term breathing of polluted atmospheric air.