Functional endoscopic sinus surgical outcomes for contact point headaches

Abstract

Headaches secondary to sinonasal anatomic abnormalities continue to remain a difficult entity to diagnose and to manage. This retrospective study analyzed the outcome of care for 34 patients who presented with headaches as one of their primary sinonasal complaints and were subsequently found to have contact points between the nasal septum and one or more turbinates on nasal endoscopy and/or computed tomography scan. Following functional endoscopic sinus surgery to relieve the contact points, these patients were interviewed regarding preoperative and postoperative intensity and frequency of the headaches and the overall response of the chronic sinusitis and headaches to surgery, after a mean follow-up period of 13.9 months. After surgery, reduction in intensity and frequency of headaches was experienced in 91% and 85% of the patients, respectively. This investigation demonstrates that surgical management of contact point headaches can make a significant impact on the headache symptomatology in children and adults.