ABSTRACT
Rhinosinusitis affects an estimated 16 per cent of the adult population in the USA, translating to almost US$5.8 billion of direct healthcare costs in 1996. Most of these patients present to their primary care physician, resulting in approximately 18 million office visits a year. In a study analysing the epidemiology and health impact of sinusitis, Anand reported a total of 73 million restricted activity days.1 There is also a marked impairment in quality of life, comparable with other chronic diseases such as chronic obstructive lung disease, angina and back pain.2
