Purpose: Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps (CRSwNP) is a common disease, which was previously approached with sinus surgery or systemic corticosteroids. The advent of biological therapies radically changed the approach to this disease. On the other hand, there is scarce scientific evidence of how specific subsets of patients respond to this treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDeviations of the septal wall are widespread anatomic anomalies of the human nose; they vary significantly in shape and location, and often cause the obstruction of the nasal airways. When severe, septal deviations need to be surgically corrected by ear-nose-throat (ENT) specialists. Septoplasty, however, has a low success rate, owing to the lack of suitable standardized clinical tools for assessing type and severity of obstructions, and for surgery planning.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn a limited subset of patients, dupilumab-induced hypereosinophilia is persistent. Two-month follow-up eosinophil count may predict long-lasting hypereosinophilia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Treatment for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) includes endoscopic sinus surgery and topic and/or systemic corticosteroids, which have only temporary effects. The development of biologic therapies has provided a new treatment paradigm for CRSwNP. Dupilumab is the only biological approved in Italy for CRSwNP, but its efficacy in a real-life context is still scarce.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To compare international and regional guidelines for prescription and monitoring of response to biologics in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP).
Methods: A literature review was performed to identify publications reporting indications for biologic therapy in CRSwNP. A full-text reading identified specific issues for comparison: prior surgery, evidence of type 2 inflammation (T2I), smell function, comorbidities, use of systemic corticosteroids, impact on quality of life, and endoscopic and CT findings were compared for the prescription, while the monitoring of the treatment was described in relation to timing, classification of response and criteria for withdrawal.
Purpose: Biological therapies are gaining relevance in the management of CRSwNP with few adverse events reported. Among these, dupilumab, an anti-IL4-Ra monoclonal antibody, is frequently associated with hypereosinophilia (HE) which usually remains silent and progressively resolves, although some cases of systemic involvement occurs. The aim of this paper is to describe our experience and propose a management flowchart for HE during therapy with dupilumab.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: External dacryocystorhinostomy (EXT-DCR) is a surgical approach commonly used to treat post-canalicular acquired lacrimal obstruction whose success rate has been described, equally with endoscopic DCR, to be superior to other available treatments.
Methods: At San Raffaele Hospital, Milan (Italy), from January 2008 to December 2020, 245 EXT-DCRs were performed. All patients underwent routine pre-operative work-up including Jones tests and probing and irrigation of the lacrimal pathway; when necessary, a multidisciplinary approach with nasal endoscopy was performed.