Diagnostic Criteria for a Curable Form of Chronic Rhinosinusitis: The Mucous Recirculation Syndrome

In clinical practice, nonallergic rhinosinusitis (rhinopathy) is a common diagnosis of exclusion. The mucous recirculation syndrome is one incompletely defined condition that masquerades as nonallergic rhinopathy. Mucous recirculation syndrome, a curable condition, should be differentiated from nonallergic rhinopathy. The underdiagnosis of this condition is due in part to a lack of diagnostic criteria. In this article, we review the medical literature to better characterize mucous recirculation syndrome and to establish diagnostic criteria for it.