Recovery of non-invasive Aspergillus sinusitis by endoscopic sinus surgery

No previous data regarding non-invasive Aspergillus sinusitis (NIAS) treated by endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) has stated any relevance to pre- operative evaluations, disease entities, and the reversibility of symptoms and the sinus mucosa. This prospective study of 31 patients with NIAS and treated by ESS (Stammberger's method) was designed to tackle the above problems. All patients were followed post-operatively by endoscopy once a week. The most refractory symptom was post-nasal dripping. The other symptoms such as foul odour showed progressive improvement by the second post- operative week. Prolonged saccharin time and disease history longer than two years showed the warning signs of a poor recovery. Most patients belonged to the chronic indolent sinusitis group with 55.5% having a complete recovery within the 9th to 12th post-operative weeks. Most patients of allergic Aspergillus sinusitis manifested a recurrent course within months following a post-ESS silent period. All patients of aspergilloma completely recovered prior to the 8th post-operative week.