Korean J Otolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.
2000 Mar;43(3):286-290.
Clinical Characteristics of Chronic Sinusitis with Allergic Mucin
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, korea. hjdhong@smc.samsung.co.kr
Abstract
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Since allergic fungal sinusitis (AFS) was first described in 1983, there have been occasional reports of patients that have typical allergic mucin without evidence of fungal disease. Clinically these patients were similar and undistinguishable from those of AFS. "Allergic mucin sinusitis without fungus" was first coined by Allphin in 1991 to describe this group of patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical features of chronic sinusitis with allergic mucin.
MATERIAL AND METHOD: A review of medical records of twelve patients who had classic allergic mucin within their sinuses without documentation of the presence of fungi was undertaken.
RESULTS
Eleven patients (92%) had nasal polyposis and eleven patients (92%) had one or more allergic conditions. However, only four patients (33%) had the evidence of type l hypersensitivity for fungal antigens. Postoperatively, eleven patients (92%) had recurrent symptoms and showed good response to systemic steroid therapy. In these patients, however, systemic steroid therapy was needed several times and additional surgeries were required in three patients.
CONCLUSION
It remains unclear whether the chronic sinusitis of these patients is a new separate disease entity or a spectrum of the AFS. Further study will be needed to elucidate the disease entity of these patients.
