Histopathology and Bacteriology of Sinusitis: With Comments on Postoperative Repair

Abstract

Owing to the increasing recognition of the importance of sinus infection in relation to respiratory and systemic diseases, during the last few years there has been a renewed interest in the pathology and bacteriology of sinus infections and also in the end-results of the various methods of treatment. These are the fundamentals on which any therapy must be based. Among many others, my co-workers and I have been carrying on investigations along these lines during the past four years at the University of Oregon Medical School. Whether this research brings out anything new, or simply serves to refresh our memory and clarify our ideas of what is already known, we think it may be useful. Three previous reports have been presented, and what we now offer is the result of further research into some of the problems considered before. POSTOPERATIVE REPAIR IN THE SINUSESDuring the last two or three years there have appeared several reports of investigations of healing or repair after operation on the sinuses. Some of these present the observations on animals after operalion, some on biopsies from patients and some on postmortem material.Our observations are based on tissues secured from fifteen persons; seven specimens from patients on whom a complete operation was performed after a previous Caldwell-Luc operation, six biopsies obtained from aritrums through the counteropening, one specimen from an antrum through a large permanent opening in the canine fossa and one from a healed ethmoidal sinus. In general, we have found that a biopsy specimen gives meager information. Conclusive evidence was obtained from the cases in which a second operation was performed and in which the whole lining was removed and a complete series of sections made.