American journal of rhinology & allergy
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Am J Rhinol Allergy · Mar 2015
Clustering of chronic rhinosinusitis symptomatology reveals novel associations with objective clinical and demographic characteristics.
Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is associated with varied head and neck symptomatology and quality-of-life impairments that are not necessarily correlated with each other or with objective measures of disease. ⋯ Variability in SNOT-22 scores from CRS patients may be explained by the independent presence of sleep, nasal, otologic, and emotional function symptoms, with which we find novel clinical and demographic associations. These findings may represent clinical evidence for distinct pathophysiologic processes that differentially cause specific CRS symptomatology.
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Am J Rhinol Allergy · Mar 2015
Comparative StudyComparative analysis of quality-of-life metrics after endoscopic surgery for sinonasal neoplasms.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the postoperative quality of life (QOL) after endoscopic resection of sinus and skull base neoplasms using validated outcomes measures and to perform correlation of the various metrics to better discern their efficacy. Prospective QOL data collection and retrospective chart review were performed. ⋯ Patients who have undergone endoscopic resection of sinonasal tumors have quantifiable QOL changes as measured by various validated metrics. This study shows that concurrent use of these instruments may better discern QOL outcomes after endoscopic tumor surgery.
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Am J Rhinol Allergy · Mar 2015
ReviewThe blood-brain barrier and nasal drug delivery to the central nervous system.
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a highly efficient system that separates the central nervous system (CNS) from general circulation and promotes selective transport of molecules that are essential for brain function. However, it also limits the distribution of systemically administered therapeutics to the brain; therefore, there is a restricted number of drugs available for the treatment of brain disorders. Several drug-targeting strategies have been developed to attempt to bypass the BBB, but none has proved sufficiently effective in reaching the brain. ⋯ Despite extensive efforts to develop new techniques to cross the BBB, none has proved sufficiently effective in reaching the brain, whereas minimizing adverse effects and the endoscopic mucosal grafting technique offers new potential promise.