Chronic rhinosinusitis in HIV-infected patients: radiological and clinical evaluation

The advent of protease inhibitors, which enhances the survival rate of HIV-infected individuals, leads patients to search for otorhinolaryngologists, as 40-70% of them may present some sort of otorhinolaryngological disorder. Aim: We aimed at comparing the CT scan findings and the nasosinusal complaints of HIV-infected and AIDS patients with clinical diagnosis of chronic rhinosinusitis. The literature on the subject is revised and discussed. Study design: clinical prospective with transversal cohort. Material and Methods: Prospectively, 39 patients with chronic rhinosinusitis, in use of antiretroviral therapy, were included in the present study and divided into two groups: patients with diagnosis of AIDS (group I) and those infected by HIV (group II). Clinical and laboratorial assessments, with CD4+ cell count and CT evaluation, were performed and compared among groups I and II. Results: Group I and II presented mean CD4+ cell count of 118 cells/10-9l and 377 cells/10-9l, respectively. Comparison of the tomographic findings by the Lund-Mackay staging system presented a score of 12 for group I and 5.63 (pd”0.001) for group II. Fever and postnasal discharge were more prevalent in group I (pd”0.001). Conclusions: In our Service, prevalence of chronic rhinosinusitis in HIV-infected patients was 12%. AIDS patients had a higher incidence of fever and postnasal discharge than those of group II. Moreover, extensive radiological findings were prevalent in patients with AIDS (group I) than in HIV-infected individuals (group II).