Lusk R P, Muntz H R
Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University Medical Center, St. Louis.
Laryngoscope. 1990 Jun;100(6):654-8. doi: 10.1288/00005537-199006000-00020.
This pilot study assessed the safety and preliminary data on the efficacy of endoscopic ethmoidectomy in children with chronic sinusitis. A total of 168 patients were evaluated for chronic sinusitis, and 31 were deemed appropriate candidates for ethmoidectomy. All patients were medical management failures. Twenty-six percent of the patients had asthma, 23% had some immune deficiency, 23% had allergies, and 2 patients (1%) had cystic fibrosis. All patients were followed for at least 1 year postoperatively. The only surgical complication was minor middle meatal scarring that developed in two patients. Overall, 71% of the patients were considered normal by their parents 1 year postoperatively. Of the 24 patients who did not have an underlying systemic disease (immune deficiency or cystic fibrosis) postoperatively, 80% were considered normal by their parents, 12% were improved but continued to have some symptoms, and 8% had unsatisfactory results. Seven children with underlying systemic disease had to undergo revision ethmoidectomy for persistent symptoms.
