The role of balloon sinuplasty in the treatment of sinus headache

Introduction: Headache attributed to rhinosinusitis, commonly called sinus headache (SH), is probably one of the most prevalent secondary headaches. The purpose of our study was to examine further sinus headache comparing the effect of conventional functional endoscopic sinus surgery and the balloon sinuplasty. Material and methods: Eighty-three consecutive patients were enrolled from 2009 to 2012, who were diagnosed sinus headache according the diagnostic criteria of AAO-HNS and of HIS. 40 patients were randomized to Conventional Endoscopy Sinus Surgery for frontal sinus (ESS Group), 35 to balloon sinuplasty of frontal sinus (BS Group). Results: The mean operative time was 65 ± 15 min for ESS group patients and 32 ± 7 min for 23 patients (BS1 Group) and 55 ± 18 min for 12 treated with hybrid technique (BS2 Group). The preoperative mean of SNOT-22 scores improved from 28.6 ± 1.2 in ESS group and 27.3 ± 0.8 in BS group to a 1-month postoperative scores of 14.5 ± 0.6 in ESS group and 10.3 ± 0.5 in BS group and to a 6-month postoperative scores of 7.8 ± 0.6 and 5.3 ± 0.3, respectively (p < 0.0001). The headache scores base on analog visual scale improved from a preoperative mean of 6.5 ± 0.3 in ESS group and 7.1 ± 0.4 in Bs group to a 1-month postoperative scores of 5.4 ± 0.4 in ESS group and 5.5 ± 0.4 in BS group and to a 6-month postoperative scores of 2.7 ± 0.5 and 1.2 ± 0.1, respectively, representing a statistically significant reduction in headache score in both group. Conclusion: Our data prove that improvement in headache can be expected in patients treated with balloon catheter.