Free radicals role in craniofacial pain pathogenesis in exacerbated chronic rhinosinusitis [Ruolo dei radicali liberi nella patogenesi del dolore craniofacciale nella rinosinusite cronica riacutizzata]

Rhinosinusitis is an inflammatory process that involves the lining mucous membrane of nose and paranasal sinuses; it can be classified in: acute rhinosinusitis, chronic sinusitis, acute exacerbation of chronic sinusitis. The blockage of sinusal precludes is the cause of the rhinosinusal infectious pathology. The symptomatology of sinusal inflammatory pathology is characterised by: blockage/congestion, discharge: anterior/post nasal drip, reduction or less of smell and craniofacial pain. In acute and acute exacerbation forms, pain is the most evident symptom, because of both its intensity and its possible diffusion in surrounding areas. Recent researches show that craniofacial pain symptomatology of paranasal sinuses inflammation can be associated with a particular physiopathological dynamic supported by increasment of free radicals in the blood. Free radicals may play a significant role in exacerbating chronic sinusitis symptoms, then antioxidants may be integrated to medical therapy. The purpose of this study is to value free radicals levels in patients that suffer from chronic sinusitis and to check pathogenetical correlations. The research has been realised on two groups of people: “A”group, composed of suffering from chronic inflammation of rhinosinusal district patients; “B”group or “control group”, composed of healthy subjects. The followed procedure was: anamnestic investigation, subjective pain evaluation on visual analogue scale (VAS), objective ORL examination and free radical derivatives evaluation. Many Authors have recently highlighted the possible correlation between pain presence and intensity in rhinosinusal inflammation pathologies, and free radical blood values. The results of our research underline the presence of a possible direct correlation between severity of craniofacial pain symptomatology and free radical blood rate in suffer from chronic sinusitis subjects.