Background: The upper and lower airways form one contiguous and functionally related organ, and are frequently exposed to similar inflammatory stimuli. There is increasing interest in the possibility that disease processes in one part of the airway may be reflected or manifest in another, thereby providing opportunities for dual diagnosis and therapy.
Aim of this work: is to study the effect of removal of nasal polypi by functional endoscopic sinus surgery on pulmonary function tests.
Patients and methods: This prospective study was carried out at Al-Azhar University hospitals (Al-Hussein and Bab El-Shaaria) in the period between December 2018 to December 2019 on 30 patients attended to outpatient clinics of ENT department to assess the effect of FESS on pulmonary functions of patients with a chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis without any other lung diseases.
Results: In the present study, we noted a significant improvement in mean FVC by (0.25 L =7.6 %) one month post operatively and by (0.43 L=13 % ) three months post operatively. Also, there is a significant improvement in mean FEV1 by (0.59 L=27.6%) one month post operatively and by (0.92 L =43.2%) three months post operatively. Also, there is a significant improvement in mean FEV1/FVC % ratio by (19.3%) one month post operatively and by (28.3%) three months post operatively.
Conclusion: This prospective randomized study showed that FESS have a positive effect on the pulmonary function of patients with chronic sinusitis with nasal polypi.