ArticleJournal of rhinology : official journal of the Korean Rhinologic Society2025
Changes in Incidental Paranasal Sinus Abnormalities During the COVID-19 Era: A 5-Year MRI-Based Study.
Article in Journal of rhinology : official journal of the Korean Rhinologic Society, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
objectivesThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and associated nonpharmaceutical interventions, including mask-wearing and hand hygiene, have led to a global decline in otorhinolaryngologic conditions, with the monthly incidence of chronic rhinosinusitis decreasing from 39.49 to 14.56 per 100,000 people. This study compared the prevalence and severity of paranasal sinus abnormalities observed on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
methodsThis retrospective study analyzed brain MRI scans from 3,762 individuals (1,881 men and 1,881 women; mean age, 56.2±9.8 years) performed at a single health-screening center in Seoul, South Korea, between January 2018 and December 2022. The study period was divided into pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 phases, with March 2020 as the cutoff. A total of 428 scans demonstrating incidental paranasal sinus abnormalities, including mucosal thickening, retention cysts or polyps, fluid collection, and fungal balls, were evaluated using the Lund-Mackay (LM) scoring system.
resultsThe overall prevalence of incidental paranasal sinus abnormalities was 11.4% (428/3,762), with a significant decline from the pre-COVID-19 to the COVID-19 period (16.1% vs. 8.6%, p<0.001). However, the mean LM score among participants with abnormalities was significantly higher during the COVID-19 period than in the pre-COVID-19 period (3.64±3.22 vs. 3.01±2.58, p=0.026). The proportion of nasal polyps was also greater during the COVID-19 period than in the pre-COVID-19 period (10.8% vs. 5.8%, p=0.028).
conclusionThe prevalence of incidental paranasal sinus abnormalities on MRI decreased during the COVID-19 period compared to the pre-COVID-19 period, whereas the severity, as reflected by the LM score, increased.
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