A cross-sectional, population-based survey of U.S. adults with symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional population survey without clinical diagnostic verification
PubMed 30582496 · doi:10.2500/aap.2019.40.4182
What was done
A cross-sectional, representative survey was conducted among 10,336 U.S. adults selected via three-stage randomization from an online panel of 4.3 million individuals. Researchers collected respondent-reported data on chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) symptoms, duration, symptom severity, functional impact, and treatment history.
What was found
Approximately 11.5% of respondents (n = 1,189) met the symptom and duration criteria for CRS. Among these individuals, approximately 10% reported a prior diagnosis of nasal polyps, while the remainder reported severe (7.3%) or moderate (3.1%) symptom severity. The most frequently reported defining symptoms were nasal congestion and/or obstruction (94%–97%) and drainage (89%–92%). On a 0–10 scale, average symptom burden was 8.2 for CRS with nasal polyps, 8.4 for CRS without nasal polyps with severe symptoms, and 6.4 for CRS without nasal polyps with moderate symptoms. Respondents also reported high healthcare utilization, impaired daily functioning, and dissatisfaction with current treatments.
Why it matters
This study provides direct, population-level primary data on CRS symptom prevalence and patient burden in the United States rather than relying on administrative claims databases. It demonstrates a substantial perceived disease burden and identifies high dissatisfaction with existing therapies.
Limits
All findings rely entirely on self-reported survey responses without objective clinical confirmation, such as nasal endoscopy or computed tomography imaging, which may lead to misclassification. The panel-based recruitment may introduce selection bias, and the cross-sectional design cannot establish causality or longitudinal disease course.