Aetiology
Common causes of rhinosinusitis include:
- viral infection
- allergic and non-allergic rhinitis
- anatomical variations
- abnormality of the osteomeatal complex
- septal deviation
- concha bullosa
- hypertrophic middle turbinates
- cigarette smoking
- diabetes mellitus
- swimming, diving, high altitude climbing
- dental infections and procedures
Rare causes include:
- cystic fibrosis
- neoplasia
- mechanical ventilation
- use of nasal tubes, such as nasogastric feeding tubes
- Samter's triad (aspirin sensitivity, rhinitis, asthma)
- sarcoidosis
- Wegener's granulomatosis
- immune deficiency
- sinus surgery
- immotile cilia syndrome
Sinusitis is generally triggered by a viral upper respiratory tract infection, with only a small percentage of cases being complicated by bacterial sinusitis
Reference:
- Aring AM, Chan MM; Current Concepts in Adult Acute Rhinosinusitis. Am Fam Physician. 2016 Jul 15;94(2):97-105.
Create an account to add page annotations
Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.