Asthma and chronic sinusitis are both chronic inflammatory diseases.
Asthma involves inflammation of the airways whereas chronic sinusitis
involves inflammation of the sinus mucosa (lining).
Both asthma and chronic sinusitis are frequently associated with allergy
to environmental triggers, such as pet dander, mold, dust mites, and
pollens.
Sinusitis is believed to trigger asthma by several mechanisms: shared
inflammation between different areas of the body, post-nasal drip of
inflammatory cells and mediators, irritation of the throat from post
nasal drip, and impaired warming and filtration of air.
Medical and surgical management of chronic sinusitis in patients with
asthma has been shown to improve their asthma.
Statistics:
27-50% of pediatric patients with asthma have chronic sinusitis.
In adult patients, up to 88% of patients with mild to moderate asthma
and up to 100% of patients with severe steroid-dependent asthma have
chronic sinusitis.
New Research:
Airway inflammation in chronic rhinosinusitis is similar to asthma.
Ponikau JU, Sherris DA, Kephart GM, Kern EB, Gaffey TA, Tarara JE,
et al. Features of airway remodeling and eosinophilic inflammation in
chronic rhinosinusitis: is the histopathology similar to asthma? J Allergy
Clin Immunol 2003;112(5):877-82.
Children with both asthma and chronic sinusitis, when treated for
chronic sinusitis, have improvement in their asthma.
Tosca MA, Cosentino C, Pallestrini E, Caligo G, Milanese M, Ciprandi
G. Improvement of clinical and immunopathologic parameters in asthmatic
children treated for concomitant chronic rhinosinusitis. Ann Allergy
Asthma Immunol 2003;91(1):71-8.