Do patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps suffer with facial pain?

BACKGROUND

Many patients attribute their symptoms of facial pain or headache to sinus problems. Facial pain is one of the symptoms of rhinosinusitis according to European and American consensus documents. This symptom, however, has been insufficiently studied in the group of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). The aim of this work is to study the symptom of facial pain in patients with CRSwNP.

METHODS

Patients with CRSwNP were prospectively asked to score their facial pain according to the scoring system used in the Sino Nasal Outcome Test 22 (SNOT 22).

RESULTS

Fifty patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Thirty-one patients had grade II polyps and 19 patients had grade III polyps. Of these patients, 76% had absent or very mild facial pain. Only 16% of patients had moderate or severe facial pain. All patients with severe facial pain had viscid secretions within their sinuses.

CONCLUSIONS

Significant facial pain is uncommon in patients with CRSwNP. It is important to consider this when counselling patients before surgery.