Introduction
Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a common health problem, affecting
5-12% of the whole population. It is often classified as chronic
rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and without nasal polyps
(CRSsNP).
CRSwNP
is commonly found after the age of 20, with a prevalence of 2.7%.
In
the pediatric population, only 0.1% of the population was reported as
CRSwNP despite that this number increases 40% in children with
CF(Cystic fibrosis).1,2,3,4
The development of CRSwNP is often attributed to anatomic variation,
viral or bacterial infection, and allergy. Agger nasi cells, Haller
cells, paradoxical middle turbinate, and concha bullosa of the middle
turbinate are common anatomic variations that may lead to
rhinostenosis, increasing the risk of the
development of CRS. 5,6,7 On the contrary, some
studies have suggested that the presence of anatomic variations does not
predispose individuals to CRS.
For the pediatric population, the study by Kim et al. showed a higher
prevalence of anatomical variations in the pediatric CRS group than in
the control group.8 Contrary to Kim’s study, Lusk
reported that there was no relationship between CRS and anatomic
variations.9 As for pediatric CRSwNP, no studies have
explored the correlation between nasal polyps and anatomical variations
due to its low prevalence.
In this study, we aimed to report the prevalence of common anatomic
variations in Chinese pediatric patients with CRSwNP and to analyze the
relationship between anatomic variations and the extent of chronic
sinusitis with nasal polyps in children.