Burn Pit Exposure Is Associated With Increased Sinonasal Disease.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to determine whether self-reported burn pit exposure is associated with increased subjective and objective sinus disease.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study was performed evaluating consecutive adult patients presenting to a US Military rhinology clinic. Demographics, medical histories, sinonasal quality-of-life scores, and nasal endoscopy examinations were obtained. Participants were divided into three cohorts based on self-reported exposure histories and outcomes compared.

RESULTS

One hundred eighty-six patients met the inclusion criteria, the majority of whom were male. Patients with burn pit exposure had worse Sinonasal Outcome Test-22 scores (49.9) compared with those deployed without burn pit exposure (31.8) or never deployed (31.5). Endoscopic findings demonstrated worse disease within those exposed (Lund-Kennedy score, 3.3) compared with the other cohorts (1.8 and 1.7, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

These novel findings suggest that deployment-related burn pit exposure is associated with increased subjective and objective sinus disease.