Health care information for sinusitis sufferers

Causes

Inflammatory and Infectious Causes

Polyps Animation of polyps growing in the sinus cavities - frontal view.  To view the Flash movie click here. Macromedia Flash required.  Download the Flash plug-in here.

It should be noted that although nasal and sinus polyps are rare in children, they should be taken very seriously. Any child with nasal and sinus polyps should be screened for cystic fibrosis, Kartagener's syndrome, and allergic fungal sinusitis.

If your doctor suspects that you may have nasal or sinus polyps, he or she may recommend an endoscopic examination in an ENT (ear, nose and throat) physician's office. This procedure uses a small telescope placed inside of the nostrils to examine the nose and sinuses. Computed tomography (CT) scans may help to identify the precise location of polyps within these cavities.

Once polyps are diagnosed, multiple medical treatments can begin. Medications generally include anti-inflammatory sprays, decongestants, inflammatory mediator inhibitors, and systemic steroid medications. Long-term medication is often required to reduce polyp size and prevent their re-growth.

In some cases, polyps must be surgically removed. The surgeon inserts a thin telescope (endoscope) through the nostril to visualize the polyps, then removes them with a microdebrider. This procedure can take place in the operating room or in the office. To make sure polyps do not recur, regular rechecks are required. In many cases, if a proper medical and surgical treatment plan is followed, nasal polyps will not re-grow large enough to cause future symptoms.

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