Diagnosis

The diagnosis of Sinusitis is made after review of patient's medical history and completion of a full clinical examination. Radiologic evaluation is usually reserved for patients who need medical treatment or present with complications of sinusitis (mucocele). CT scan is the accepted form of radiologic evaluation. Scans with axial, coronal and reconstructed saggital views are the most useful.

Clinical examination includes anterior rhinoscopy and nasal endoscopy. This can be carried out effectively under topical or local anesthesia. Rigid nasal endoscopy affords optimum viewing of the sinuses in different angles with the various angled Hopkins telescopes. An image-guided guided culture can be effectively and carefully performed without excessive contamination from the nasal cavity; this improves the isolation of the bacteria and in some situations the fungal organisms.

The following are some representative image-guided views of the nasal cavity:

Recurrent acute Sinusitis is defined by symptoms and physical findings consistent with symptoms and findings worsening after 5 days or persisting as long as 10 days. However or more and may last up to 4 weeks. Furthermore, as many as 4 episodes occur in 1 year absent without current antibiotic therapy. The diagnostic criteria for recurrent acute Sinusitis for acute Sinusitis.