Abstract

Rhinosinusitis refers to an inflammation of the nose and the paranasal sinuses. The disease can be further divided into acute (symptom duration < 12 weeks) and chronic (symptom duration > 12 weeks) forms. The diagnosis of rhinosinusitis requires presence of two or more main symptoms; diagnosis of the chronic form additionally requires endoscopy and/or CT-supported objective findings. Rhinosinusitis is a significant health problem with a substantial socioeconomic burden and effect on quality of life, comparable to that of other chronic diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and diabetes. The exact prevalence of the disease presently remains unknown owing to differences in the study methods and diagnostic criteria employed by diferent groups. Polls suggest that the prevalence stands at 14–16% in the US and 6.9–27.1% in Europe. Several new guidelines and consensus documents on the diagnosis and treatment of rhinosinusitis have emerged in the recent past, with the shared goal of disseminating evidence-based recommendations and standardizing treatment approaches across countries. The present paper offers an overview of the aforementioned consensus documents and presents treatment recommendations in Estonian.