Abstract
Objectives:
Chronic rhinosinusitis is common among patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and often significantly impacts their quality of life. The introduction of CFTR modulators, particularly the triple therapy of elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI), appears to alleviate these symptoms. This study aims to evaluate the effect of this therapy on children and adolescents under 20 years of age with cystic fibrosis and concurrent chronic rhinosinusitis.
Methods:
A prospective single-institution study was conducted. Patients were evaluated before starting treatment with ETI and after a median period of 3 months of therapy. Nasal endoscopy findings were recorded using the modified Lund-Kennedy score. Additionally, the Sinonasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22), validated for Greek patients, was administered.
Results:
A total of 15 patients participated in the study, with a median age of 18 years, ranging from 14 to 20 years. Seven patients (46.7%) were male, and 8 (53.3%) were female. Analysis of the SNOT-22 scores before and after treatment showed no statistically significant difference (P = .325). However, the analysis of the modified Lund-Kennedy scores revealed a statistically significant improvement after a median period of 3 months of treatment (P = .002).
Conclusion:
Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) often suffer from chronic rhinosinusitis. The highly effective modulator therapy with ETI appears to result in a statistically significant improvement in sinonasal disease as assessed by nasal endoscopy. Conversely, this innovative therapy does not seem to improve the quality of life for CF patients experiencing rhinosinusitis symptoms, likely due to the few preexisting symptoms before initiation of the therapy.
Keywords
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