Epidemiology of Chronic Rhinosinusitis: Prevalence and Risk Factors

Knowledge of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) epidemiology may directly impact patient care: aiding patient identification and establishing accurate diagnosis as well as informing treatment decisions. The objective of this review is to summarize the current evidence on the epidemiology of CRS, with a focus on prevalence and risk factors. Although the presence of either symptoms or objective findings alone have yielded CRS prevalence estimates of over 10%, the presence of both—consistent with guideline-based diagnostic criteria for CRS—has suggested that the true prevalence of CRS is consistently less than 5%, with approximately one-third of patients with CRS having nasal polyps, in epidemiologic studies from around the world. In comparison, the prevalence of CRS endotypes—pathophysiologic subclassification of CRS most commonly as related to type 2 or non–type 2 inflammation—has been found to vary significantly by region. The epidemiology of CRS is modified and ultimately determined by risk factors: genetic/hereditary, demographic, environmental, and imparted by predictive pre-/comorbid disease. The understanding of these epidemiologic relationships may help the provider to optimally identify and understand each individual’s CRS disease process, thereby improving both diagnosis and treatment. Knowledge of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) epidemiology may directly impact patient care: aiding patient identification and establishing accurate diagnosis as well as informing treatment decisions. The objective of this review is to summarize the current evidence on the epidemiology of CRS, with a focus on prevalence and risk factors. Although the presence of either symptoms or objective findings alone have yielded CRS prevalence estimates of over 10%, the presence of both—consistent with guideline-based diagnostic criteria for CRS—has suggested that the true prevalence of CRS is consistently less than 5%, with approximately one-third of patients with CRS having nasal polyps, in epidemiologic studies from around the world. In comparison, the prevalence of CRS endotypes—pathophysiologic subclassification of CRS most commonly as related to type 2 or non–type 2 inflammation—has been found to vary significantly by region. The epidemiology of CRS is modified and ultimately determined by risk factors: genetic/hereditary, demographic, environmental, and imparted by predictive pre-/comorbid disease. The understanding of these epidemiologic relationships may help the provider to optimally identify and understand each individual’s CRS disease process, thereby improving both diagnosis and treatment. Chronic Rhinosinusitis: Forward!The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In PracticeVol. 10Issue 6PreviewReaders interested in helping their patients who have chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) will find useful information in the pages of this theme issue. Several teams of leading experts on CRS worked together to produce a series of manuscripts devoted to CRS. Each team approaches CRS from a different angle. Full-Text PDF CME exam: Epidemiology of Chronic Rhinosinusitis: Prevalence and Risk FactorsThe Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In PracticeVol. 10Issue 6Preview Full-Text PDF