Chronic sinusitis may arise from a variety of causes. Failure of mucociliary transport, nasal obstruction, and breakdown of the mucosal barrier are important mechanisms that may contribute to irreversible tissue pathologic changes in the paranasal sinuses. Diagnosis is usually made radiographically using plain films, polytomography, or computerized tomography. Medical treatment attacks underlying causes such as allergy or viscous mucus secretions. In addition to antibiotic therapy, management of the underlying medical problems, general prophylactic measures, immunologic reconstitution of specific immune deficiencies, and vaccine therapy when combined with surgical therapy are likely to help improve survival of the immunosuppressed patient with chronic sinusitis.
. EliassonRMossbergBCamnerP: The immotile-cilia syndrome: A congenital ciliary abnormality as an etiologic factor in chronic airway infections and male sterility. N Engl J Med1977; 297: 106.
4.
. CarenfeltC: Pathogenesis of sinus empyema. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol1979; 88: 16–20.
5.
. WatanabeKWatanabeI: Changes of nasal epithelial cells after challenge of allergen. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol1981; 90: 204–209.
6.
. CarenfeltCLundbergC: Purulent and non-purulent maxillary sinus secretions with respect to pO2, pCO2, and pH. Acta Otolaryngol1977; 84: 138–144.
7.
. HigashiTAoyamaWMoriY: Gallium-67 scanning in the differentiation of maxillary sinus carcinoma from chronic maxillary sinusitis. Radiology1977; 123: 117–122.
8.
. FrederickJBraudeA: Anaerobic infection of the paranasal sinuses. N Engl J Med1974; 290: 135–137.
9.
. BrookI: Bacteriologic features of chronic sinusitis in children. JAMA1981; 246: 967–969.
. BattockDJGrauszHBobrowskyM: Alternate-day amphotericin B therapy in the treatment of rhinocerebral phycomycosis (mucormycosis). Ann Intern Med1968; 68: 122–137.
32.
. PriceJCStevensDL: Hyperbaric oxygen in the treatment of rhinocerebral mucormycosis. Laryngoscope1980; 90: 737–747.
33.
. BurtonJRZacheryJBBessinR: Aspergillosis in four renal transplant recipients: Diagnosis and effective treatment with amphotericin B. Ann Intern Med1972; 77: 383–388.
34.
. KatzPFauciAS: Nocardia asteroides sinusitis: Presentation as a trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole responsive fever of unknown origin. JAMA1977; 238: 2397–2398.
35.
. MerineyDK: Gamma globulin and vaccine therapy, in GriecoMH (ed): Infections in the Abnormal Host. New York, Yorke, 1980, pp 987–1005.
36.
. LandesmanSHSchiffmanG: Assessment of the antibody response to pneumococcal vaccine in high-risk populations. Rev Infect Dis1981; 3 (suppl):S184–S196.
37.
. SchimpffSC: Infection prevention in patients with cancer and granulocytopenia, in GriecoMH (ed): Infections in the Abnormal Host. New York, Yorke, 1980, pp 926–950.
