Prevalence of chronic rhinosinusitis at Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es Salaam

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) affects people of all ages worldwide and has significant socio-economic impact. Data on chronic rhinosinusitis are scarce. Objective: To determine the prevalence of CRS among patients attending the Otorhinolaryngology Department at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH). Method: This was a hospital based descriptive cross-sectional study where 56 patients with CRS were recruited from July to December 2015 after meeting the criteria set by the American Academy of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS). Data were analysed using SPSS program version 21. Results: The prevalence of CRS among 5321 patients was 1.07%; 51.8% were female and the highest proportion was aged 11-20 years. Bilaterality of disease was found in 62%. The maxillary sinus (83.9%) was the most affected sinus whilst the sphenoid sinus was least affected. There was a good correlation between computerized tomography (CT) and intraoperative findings, anatomical variations, and pathological features. Conclusion: CRS appears to be less prevalent at MNH than elsewhere with a tendency to bilaterality and maxillary sinus predominance similar to other studies.

Keywords

• prevalence
• chronic rhinosinusitis
• muhimbili hospital
• tanzania