Effect of nasal polyps on spirometric values pre and post : operative comparison

Abstract EN

Background : nasal breathing can be crucial to the proper functioning of the lower airway.

Nasal obstruction (N.O.) may play an important role in modulating lower airway and lung function.

Objective : the study was designed to assess the influence of nasal polyps on spirometer value and to evaluate the effect of surgical polypectomy on pulmonary function depend on spirometeric test.

Setting : otolaryngology, head and neck surgery center in Al-Sadder teaching hospital in Al Najaf governorate.

Patients : Fourty four patients (29 men and 15 women) from 20-50 years old were enrolled in this study after taking their consent.

All patients had nasal polyps for many years.

Methods : prospective study of patients who had nasal polyps.

All patients underwent spirometeric test preoperatively, only those with abnormal spirometeric value were included in this study.

Patients were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of chest symptoms as group I and group II respectively.

Patients then were treated surgically by different surgical methods and followed up for a period of 2-4 months and were assessed for the improvement of pulmonary function by spirometery.

Results : Fourty seven patients (39 %) of 120 patients with nasal polyps had abnormal spirometery, 3 patients were lost in follow-up.

Treatment of both groups improved nasal breathing function in 81 % with improvement of pulmonary function in 11 patients (34.37 %) of group I (32 patients) and 6 patients (50 %) in group II (12 patients) with overall improvement of spirometery in 44 patients (38.6 %).

Conclusion : this study presents an evidence for the existence of correlation between nasal polyps and lower airway disorders, and shows that effective surgical polypectomy may improve pulmonary function in lower airway disease patients with nasal polyps.