Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and allergic rhinitis (AR) are chronic conditions causing nasal inflammation. CRS is increasingly recognized as a chronic inflammatory process rather than a chronic infection. It is clinically classified based on the presence of nasal polyps into CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and CRS without nasal polyps (CRSsNP). While the primary initiating factors in CRS remain unclear, AR is driven by IgE mediated hypersensitivity to environmental allergens. Understanding the underlying inflammatory pathways and disease endotypes are driving innovation toward novel pharmacotherapies targeting critical mediators implicated in CRS and AR including IL-4, IL-13, IL-5, IgE, epithelial initiators IL-33 and TSLP. Many of these new agents have shown promise in RCTs or are being investigated in ongoing RCTs although none have approval for AR or CRS indications yet. Extensive investigations are still needed to determine the role, timing, predictive prognostic factors and long-term safety and efficacy of these agents.

Background:The chronic rhinosinusitis patient-reported outcome (CRS-PRO) measure is a 12-item measure with previously demonstrated validity in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients receiving medical therapy. This study establishes the factor structure, responsiveness, and convergent validity of the CRS-PRO following endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). Methods: Northwestern CRS Subject Registry patients had pre-ESS, 3-month (n = 111; CRS without nasal polyps [CRSsNP] = 60, CRS with nasal polyps [CRSwNP] = 51), and 6-month (n = 86; CRSsNP = 47, CRSwNP = 39) post-ESS assessments where patients completed the CRS-PRO, 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22), and four Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement (PROM) Information System (PROMIS) short forms (general health measures). Patients had pre-ESS objective testing (endoscopic and radiographic assessment).Factor analysis was conducted using principal axis factoring with varimax rotation on the baseline CRS-PRO. The clinically important difference (CID) was estimated using both distribution-based and anchor-based methods. Results: Factor analysis found the CRS-PRO comprised the "rhinopsychologic," "facial discomfort," and "cough" factors, which were responsive to ESS and correlated with the other PROMs. The changes observed in the CRS-PRO at 3 months had strong correlation with the corresponding changes in SNOT-22 (r = 0.792, p < 0.0001) and moderate correlations with changes in PROMIS fatigue and sleep domains. These changes had a very large effect size (Cohen's d 1.44) comparable to the longer SNOT-22 (Cohen's d 1.41) with slightly larger effect sizes observed in CRSwNP compared to CRSsNP patients.Similar convergent validity and responsiveness were observed in the 6-month data. The CRS-PRO CID was estimated to be between 5.0 and 7.5 (midpoint 6.0) using distribution-based and anchor-based methods.

This study confirms that OSA is common in epilepsy patients and treatment of OSA can improve seizure control in medically refractory cases. Patients with refractory epilepsy who have diabetes are more likely to have OSA.

Objectives/Hypothesis To assess if there is a significant difference in the prevalence and severity of chronic cough symptoms in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients versus non‐OSA patients and examine this relationship in regard to laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) symptoms. Study Design Prospective cohort study. Methods Patients referred to Northwestern Medicine Sleep Lab for home sleep testing were enrolled. Patients filled out the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ) and Reflux Symptom Index (RSI) before completing sleep testing. Home sleep testing results were reviewed, and patients were separated into non‐OSA and OSA groups by standard Apnea‐Hypopnea Index (AHI) criteria. Demographic characteristics and questionnaire scores of the two groups were compared. The relationship between OSA severity, as determined by AHI, and LCQ and RSI scores was assessed. Results Of the 52 patients enrolled, 33 patients met criteria for OSA and 19 patients did not. Comparing patients without OSA versus those with OSA, there was a significant difference in mean LCQ score (129.9 vs. 120.0, respectively; P = .02), implying worse cough symptoms among OSA patients, and mean RSI score (3.2 vs. 11.2, respectively; P = .0013), implying worse upper‐airway reflux symptoms among OSA patients. There was a significant correlation between LCQ score and AHI (r = –0.39, P = .0061) and between RSI score and AHI (r = 0.37, P = .0078). Conclusions OSA patients demonstrate worse chronic cough and LPR‐related quality of life versus non‐OSA patients. Furthermore, the severity of these quality‐of‐life measures was correlated with the severity of the AHI. Chronic cough and particularly the pharyngeal LPR symptoms may be associated with the presence and severity of OSA. Level of Evidence 2 . Laryngoscope, 129:1244–1249, 2019

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Objectives/Hypothesis: Otolaryngologic symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and their diagnostic utility are not well studied. We aimed to elucidate the prevalence of otolaryngologic symptoms among patients being evaluated for OSA. Given findings that the Reflux Symptom Index (RSI) was strongly associated with OSA status, we evaluated the diagnostic utility of the RSI for predicting OSA status.

4. Laryngoscope, 127:2653-2658, 2017.

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