[Post-operative recurrence of naso-sinus polyposis].

Maxipolyposis, i.e. severe, diffuse nasosinusal polyposis, is generally treated with an onerous surgery. Therefore, recurrence, roughly rangling from 15% to 25%, are quite a disagreable outcome which is to be minimized. To this purpose, it may be useful to differentiate the residual from the recurrent polyposis, as is usually done in cases of cholesteatoma. Residual polyposis can be reduced by a thorough surgical resection. The authors detail their present technique, which joins microsurgery, used to perform ethmoidectomy, with endoscopic surgery, employed to manoeuvre within the sphenoid and maxillary sinus, as well as to drain the frontal sinus, i.e. to treat areas out of the direct view. Moreover, patients are warned of the need for close postoperative controls which should always be performed through telescopes in order to secure a sound inspection of the surgical cavities. Any slight, incipient recurrence should be immediately resected in the office by means of endoscopic technique. Recurrent polyposis must be treated with the drug therapies now in use, a waiting complete elucidation of the pathogenic mechanism. Association with systemic diseases, such as asthma, may contraindicate major surgery, as it increases the recurrence expectancy. Simple polypectomy often attains the same result in these cases, that is temporary ventilation of the nasal fossae.