Correlation between Middle Turbinate and Ipsilateral Ethmoid Histopathology in Chronic Rhinosinusitis

OBJECTIVE: Study the concept of "rhinosinusitis" in patients with inflammatory paranasal sinus disease (IPSD). STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective case control series in a tertiary care facility. Twenty-two consecutive patients with IPSD without polyposis were enrolled. A partial middle turbinectomy and ethmoidectomy were performed and the histopathologic findings of the surgical specimens from the 2 sites was studied. The general degree of inflammation, epithelial thickening, and inflammatory cell count were measured. RESULTS: The degree of middle turbinate inflammation correlated with that of the ipsilateral ethmoid sinus (Spearman's rho coefficient = 0.450; P < 0.05). Epithelial thickness was more prominent in the ethmoid sinus. The total inflammatory cell count was comparable. There was a statistically significant correlation among total inflammatory cell count, plasma cell count, and eosinophil count between the 2 sites. CONCLUSION: The ethmoid sinus inflammation in IPSD is accompanied by a commensurate ipsilateral middle turbinate inflammation. SIGNIFICANCE: The data support the use of the term "rhinosinusitis."