Concha Bullosa Affects Baseline and Postoperative Quality-of-Life Measures in Surgically Managed Chronic Rhinosinusitis

Abstract

Background

Concha bullosa (CB) is a prevalent anatomic variant and frequent surgical target in endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). However, whether CB impacts quality-of-life (QOL) in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is not well established. The purpose of this study was to investigate baseline and post-ESS QOL differences in patients with medically recalcitrant CRS with and without CB.

Methods

Demographic and surgical characteristics, baseline and postoperative 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) scores for 137 patients with CRS who underwent primary ESS at our institution were recorded. Computed tomography (CT) scans were reviewed for Lund–Mackay score and presence of CB. Multiplanar CT was used to measure CB dimensions and estimate volume. Multivariable analysis was performed to identify differences in SNOT-22 overall and symptom-domain scores between patients with upper quartile (≥0.8 mL) CB and without CB.

Results

CB was found in 37% of patients with mean volume of 0.67 mL. There were no significant differences in distribution of clinicodemographic variables by large CB status. At baseline, large CB was associated with higher SNOT-22 extranasal-rhinologic domain score (9.8 vs 6.0, P < .01). Following ESS, patients with large CB reported greater improvement in SNOT-22 extranasal-rhinologic domain score (multivariable mean absolute improvement 3.8, P = .01; relative 56% vs 30%).

Conclusion

Patients with medically recalcitrant CRS and concomitant large CB have higher SNOT-22 extranasal-rhinologic domain scores at baseline, but also report greater intradomain improvement exceeding the subdomain’s mean clinically important difference. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that CB has a clinically significant impact on QOL in CRS, and surgical intervention may be helpful to address these symptoms.