Relationship between pain-related comorbidities and quality of life in patients with symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis

Introduction Facial pain is a common manifestation of sinonasal disease but may be due to a variety of other conditions. Misattribution of pain to chronic rhinosinusitis may result in worse quality of life in populations both with and without objective evidence of sinonasal disease. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is an association between pain-related comorbidities and worse chronic rhinosinusitis specific quality of life in patients with and without objective evidence of sinonasal inflammation. Methods Retrospective cohort study of 299 patients meeting diagnostic criteria for sinusitis evaluated at a tertiary academic medical center from 2017 to 2018. Objective evidence was measured using the Lund-Kennedy and Lund-MacKay scoring systems; for the purposes of this study a score >3 on either scale was considered indicative of disease. Quality of life was determined by the rhinosinusitis disability index. Results A total of 191 patients were included in the study, with an average age of 52.7. (SD=15.3). The average Lund-Kennedy and Lund-MacKay scores were 4.7 and 8.3, respectively. The average rhinosinusitis disability index was 32.1. When stratified by the presence of pain-related comorbidities, there was no significant difference in Lund-Kennedy (p = 0.203), Lund-MacKay (p = 0.101), or rhinosinusitis disability index (p = 0.421). Conclusion Although prior studies have suggested a correlation between the presence of pain-related comorbidities and worse chronic rhinosinusitis specific quality of life, this relationship was not evident within the current cohort of patients. The relationship between pain and sinusitis specific quality of life is likely complex and requires further research to fully elucidate.