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Many patients diagnosed with empty nose syndrome (ENS) later develop mental illness. The literature addressing biomarkers associated with postoperative psychiatric status is limited. This study aimed to assess the association between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and psychiatric status after surgery in ENS. We recruited patients with ENS undergoing endonasal submucosal implantation. Their pre- and postoperative psychiatric status was evaluated using the Beck depression inventory-II (BDI-II) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Serum hs-CRP was analyzed one day before and one year after surgery. Of the 43 patients enrolled, all subjective measurements had improved (symptom scores decreased) significantly by the third month postoperatively and remained plateaued till 12 months. Those with preoperative hs-CRP levels > 2.02 mg/L were likely to remain depressive 1 year postoperatively. The regression model showed that a preoperative hs-CRP level > 2.02 mg/L was significantly correlated with postoperative depression in patients with ENS (odds ratio, 19.9). Hs-CRP level seems to be a feasible predictor of surgical outcome regarding improved depression in patients with ENS. Patients with higher preoperative hs-CRP levels should be monitored closely after surgery.

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BACKGROUND: Olfactory dysfunction, such as hyposmia, is a significant symptom of empty nose syndrome (ENS). The efficacy of surgical intervention in olfaction improvements for ENS has not been investigated extensively. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in olfaction after surgical treatment for ENS. METHODS: This prospective cohort study at a tertiary medical center enrolled patients with ENS indicated for surgical treatment between June 2015 and June 2019. The Sniffin' Sticks 12-items odor identification test (SS-12) and subjective olfaction rating were completed by patients before and after surgery to assess olfaction. RESULTS: A total of 40 patients completed the survey both before and after surgical treatment. Prior to surgery, 25% of the patients had olfactory dysfunction detected by SS-12, whereas 80% of the patients reported a reduction in olfactory function by subjective rating. The degree of olfactory dysfunction by both assessments significantly improved following surgery. The age was a significant predictor of postoperative improvement. CONCLUSION: Surgical treatment is helpful in improving olfaction in patients with ENS who commonly suffer from olfactory dysfunction. Younger patients may benefit more from surgical intervention in aspect of olfaction.

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BACKGROUND: Although cases of empty nose syndrome (ENS) are not very common, the suffering that ENS causes patient is immense and could be very difficult to imagine. Nasal nitric oxide (nNO) is an airway disease biomarker, and its levels increase after endoscopic sinus surgery. The trend of nNO levels in ENS before and after surgical treatment remains unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the role of nNO in ENS. METHODS: Patients with ENS who received surgical implantation and with chronic hypertrophic rhinitis (CHR) who underwent turbinoplasty and completed at least 1 year of follow-up were prospectively enrolled. nNO measurements and subjective assessments [SinoNasal Outcome Test (SNOT)-22, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)-II, and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)] were performed preoperatively and at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. RESULTS: We enrolled 19 ENS and 12 CHR patients. nNO levels were significantly lower in the ENS than in the CHR patients before surgical treatment (p < 0.001). nNO levels in the ENS patients significantly increased 3 months after implantation and remained plateaued (p = 0.015). BDI-II and BAI scores significantly improved after surgical treatment for the ENS patients but not for the CHR patients; changes in nNO levels correlated well with improvements in BDI-II and BAI scores (p = 0.025 and 0.035, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: nNO significantly increased at third month after surgical treatment and remained plateaued in ENS patients. This increase correlated with improvements in BDI-II and BAI scores. Therefore, nNO may be important in assessing the psychiatric status of empty nose syndrome.

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OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS: Endonasal submucosal implantation has been confirmed to be beneficial for patients with empty nose syndrome (ENS). However, the optimal implantation site has not been defined. This study aimed to evaluate whether lateral nasal wall implantation is superior to inferior nasal wall implantation in terms of clinical benefits and improvements in quality of life. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study in a tertiary medical center. METHODS: Consecutive ENS patients between 2010 and 2015 with operative histories of inferior turbinectomies and indicated for surgical implantation were enrolled, with at least 1-year follow-up. Patients were divided into lateral and inferior nasal wall groups. SinoNasal Outcome Test (SNOT)-22, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)-II, and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were applied before and 1 year after implantation. RESULTS: Of the total 30 ENS patients analyzed, 14 were in the inferior nasal wall group and 16 were in the lateral nasal wall group. There were no significant intergroup differences in demographic data and preoperative SNOT-22, BDI-II, and BAI scores. Postoperative assessment revealed that the lateral nasal wall group had significantly better SNOT-22 score improvements than the inferior nasal wall group, particularly regarding rhinological symptoms and sleep function. CONCLUSION: Lateral nasal wall implantation may provide significantly better clinical outcomes than inferior nasal wall implantation, and thus may be the preferred, more optimal site for implant placement in ENS patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4. Laryngoscope, 128:554-559, 2018.

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OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Empty nose syndrome (ENS) is often associated with psychological symptoms. With the absence of psychiatric instruments utilized in the current literature, the assessment of psychological disorder is limited, and the effectiveness of surgical intervention in improving such disorders in ENS are not well understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the change in depression and anxiety before and after surgical treatment for ENS STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study in a tertiary medical center. METHODS: ENS patients indicated for surgical treatment were enrolled. The Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) questionnaires were completed by these patients before and after surgery to assess the level of depression and anxiety. RESULTS: A total of 20 patients completed the BDI-II and BAI before and after surgical treatment. A majority of patients developed depression and anxiety prior to surgical treatment. The severity of depression and anxiety were significantly decreased following the surgery; the mean scores of both the BDI-II and BAI improved from moderate severity to normal (both P < .001). The preoperative total score was found to be a powerful predictor for the postoperative improvement in both BDI-II and BAI (P < .001). Female patients had significantly worse preoperative scores (P = .005) and greater postoperative improvement (P = .012) in the BDI-II. CONCLUSIONS: Depression and anxiety are psychological disorders prevalent among ENS patients. Surgical treatment for ENS is effective in improving depression and anxiety. Patients with worse preoperative BDI-II and BAI scores as well as female patients may be better candidates for surgical intervention. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 126:1284-1289, 2016.

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