Endoscopic Surgery for Delayed Sinonasal Complications of Radiation Therapy for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Subjective Outcome

Purpose: Delayed sinonasal complications of radiation therapy include choanal stenosis, osteoradionecrosis, chronic sinusitis, and intranasal synechiae. Only sporadic cases on their surgical treatment have been reported, with equivocal results. Methods and Materials: We performed a prospective case series of all patients who had been surgically treated for delayed sinonasal complications of radiation therapy in our institution during the past 10 years. The inclusion criteria required ≥6 months of follow-up after surgery. The included patients were asked to complete a Sino-Nasal Outcome Test 16-item questionnaire preoperatively and 6 months after surgery. Results: Nine patients with history of radiation therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma were included in our series. In all cases, partial or complete subjective improvement occurred. Conclusions: In select cases, endoscopic sinus surgery could be of benefit in the treatment of delayed sinonasal complications of radiation therapy.