Analysis Of Microbial Flora In Patients With Chronic Sinusitis Under Going Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS): A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE : The purpose of this study is to analyze microbial flora of paranasal sinuses of patients
with chronic sinusitis undergoing functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). METHODOLOGY: This cross sectional study
includes 60 patients who were diagnosed as chronic sinusitis (male:female ratio is 1:1 mean age: 41 yrs). Computed
tomography (CT) imaging of the paranasal sinuses and nasal endoscopic examinations were performed for each patient.
Patients were sampled during FESS for microbiological analysis and culture. RESULTS: 56 (93.3%) out of 60 patients were
positive for pathogenic organisms. Staphylococcus aureus and members of the family Enterobacteriaceae were the most
frequent classical pathogens isolated. Out of the total, 50 patients are positive for aerobic organisms where Staphylococcus
aureus was present in 30 (60%), MRSA (Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus) was positive in 8 (16%), followed by
Streptococcus isolated in 6 (12%) samples. Other organisms found were Enterobacter 2 (4%), Actimycetes 2 (4%),
Acinobacter 2 (4%), Pseudomonas 2 (4%) and Klebsiella 2 (4%). Co-infections with multiple organisms were found in few
patients. CONCLUSION: The study supports the hypothesis that bacterial infection is the predominant etiology, but not the
only cause of chronic sinusitis. Fungal and allegic etiology was found in few patients in the study. Staphylococcus aureus is
most commonly isolated organism in patients with chronic sinusitis.