Otology/Neurotology

Objectives: Chronic sinusitis (CS) has been suspected to be a risk factor for voice disorders, although studies confirming this relationship are not available. This study demonstrates both the incidence of vocal dysfunction in CS patients and the correlation between vocal dysfunction and CS symptoms. Methods: The Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22), a 22-item validated quality-of-life (QOL) instrument, was distributed to CS patients along with the voice-related QOL (V-RQOL), a 10-item validated voice QOL instrument. The SNOT-22 and V-RQOL total scores were used to find the correlation between vocal dysfunction and CS. Lower scores denote worse function on the V-RQOL and better function on the SNOT-22. Results: A total of 182 consecutive CS patients were asked to complete the V-RQOL and SNOT-22. A total of 136 patients, 61 women and 75 men, completed both forms. Using a cutoff score of <91.25 as an indication of abnormal health on the V-RQOL, 33 of the 136 patients who completed both forms, or 24.3%, were abnormal. Of the 61 women who completed the forms, 19 (31.1%) were abnormal, and of the 75 men who completed the forms, 14 (23.0%) were abnormal. Spearman and Pearson correlation coefficients between the total SNOT-22 and V-RQOL total scores were −0.38 (P = .001) and −0.39 (P = .001), respectively. The Spearman and Pearson correlation coefficients between patients with a SNOT22 score >62 (n = 9) and their V-RQOL scores were −0.78 (P = .01) and −0.66 (P = .05), respectively. Conclusions: This study shows that patients with increasing severity of CS have significantly higher degrees of vocal dysfunction. Abnormal vocal function in the CS population occurs in about 1 in 5 patients. Patients with CS suffer from diminished V-RQOL.