Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T13:56:25.339Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Prevalence of facial pain in 108 consecutive patients with paranasal mucopurulent discharge at endoscopy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 December 2006

N J Clifton
Affiliation:
Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Queen's Medical Centre, University Hospital, Nottingham, UK
N S Jones
Affiliation:
Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Queen's Medical Centre, University Hospital, Nottingham, UK

Abstract

We undertook a prospective observational study of 108 consecutive patients with endoscopic paranasal mucopurulent secretions. Only 31 patients (29 per cent) had facial pain. In 20 (65 per cent), the endoscopic site of purulent secretions corresponded to the site of pain. In those with facial pain, 74 per cent had nasal obstruction, 68 per cent had objective hyposmia and 84 per cent had mucopurulent rhinorrhoea. In the 31 patients with facial pain, 19 (61 per cent) became symptom free following medical treatment. The remaining 12 patients underwent surgery and their symptoms resolved, except for one patient with a tension-type headache and another with pain of unknown cause.

Most patients with purulent secretions from the paranasal sinuses do not have facial pain; therefore, chronic rhinosinusitis is not synonymous with pain.

Patients with sinogenic facial pain usually have endoscopic findings that correlate with the site of pain, and the majority also have other nasal symptoms. Chronic infective rhinosinusitis usually responds to medical therapy, and the remainder resolve with surgery.

Type
Main Articles
Copyright
2006 JLO (1984) Limited

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)