ABSTRACT
Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is estimated to affect 5-15% of the urban population (1). Its estimated prevalence of 146 : 1000 of the population exceeds that of any other chronic condition in patients below the age of 45 (2). As one of the more common conditions seen by primary care physicians and specialists alike, it is surprising that even the definition and classification of the condition have remained a source of debate (3). It would appear that one-third to one half of all patients seen by family practitioners suffer from some form of rhinosinusitis, and this figure appears to be rising (3). Relatively little data are available from Europe, though epidemiology initiatives through the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology hope to address this need in the near future (4). As an indication, a recent Danish study shows nasal polyposis, which is often included in the generic term CRS, has an overall estimated symptomatic incidence of 0.63 patients per 1000 per year (5).
