Primary Radical Extended Sinus Surgery for Management of Extensive Allergic Fungal Rhinosinusitis

Introduction: Allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS), a subset of sinusitis secondary to hypersensitivity, is clinically similar to chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyp but histologically different with rich eosinophils and Charcot Leyden crystals. Since the primary pathology in AFRS is immune mediated, the recurrence rates are high. In this study, we describe the application of radical extended sinus surgery (RESS) as the surgical technique with the usage of postoperative high-volume steroidal nasal irrigation and short-term oral steroid therapy – a threefold strategy – for the prevention of recurrence of this disease. Materials and Methods: A retrospective surgical chart audit of patients diagnosed with AFRS and treated between January 2012 and December 2019 was done. The clinical findings and postoperative outcomes performed by a single senior surgeon in a tertiary referral institution were extracted and analyzed. Results: Of the 17 patients, 88% of patients were immunocompetent and Lund Mackay (LM) of 24, 16 patients had Grade 3 nasal polyps, except one with Grade 1 nasal polyps and an LM score of 8. All patients underwent RESS and received postoperative high-volume topical steroid irrigation with oral steroids in the immediate postoperative period and on follow-up, if recurrence was noted, none required revision surgery. Conclusions: A three-fold strategy is beneficial in the management of AFRS-RESS followed by oral steroids during the immediate postoperative period along with long-term topical high-volume steroid nasal irrigation.