The nose and sinuses are air cavities that are gateways to infectious diseases but inflammatory and tumors, benign or malignant, can also develop in those areas. Symptoms of sino-nasal diseases are dominated by pain, nose blowing and nasal blockage.  These diseases require multidisciplinary diagnostic management (clinical and radiological) and treatment (medical or surgical)

Sinusitis and Rhino-Sinusitis

Sinusitis is inflammation of the linings of the sinuses that surround the nose. It can be acute or chronic and is a quite common disease.

Acute sinusitis is usually caused by a bacterial infection in the sinuses that result from an upper respiratory tract infection. Chronic sinusitis refers to long-term swelling and inflammation of the sinuses that may be caused by bacteria or a fungus.

Antibiotic medications are used to treat acute sinusitis but chronic sinusitis must be treated by surgery.

Chronic diseases of the nose and sinuses are often less painful but they are responsible for flow of nose, nasal obstruction and decreased taste and smell. These diseases are often associated with other diseases such as asthma or allergy. The management thus involves other medical specialties

Sensory dysfunction

They take form in bad smell (cacosmia) or, conversely, diminished sense of smell or lack of sense of smell (hyposmia or anosmia). The causes linked with these dysfunctions are aplenty and not easy to detect at first so a visual assessment (endoscopy) and radiation is often necessary to determine the cause of these disorders.

Nasal tumors
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There are many different causes for nasal tumors. The symptoms are stuffy nose, nasal discomfort and sometimes nosebleeds. Again, the combination of endoscopy and imaging can confirm the diagnosis.

Nasal congestion – Stuffy nose

Nasal congestion most commonly is the result of inflammation and swelling of the lining tissues of the nasal passages and sinuses. Rarely, tumors of the nasal passages or dysfunctions of the nasal mucosa or deformities of the nasal tip may be the cause of nasal congestion.

Nasal obstruction may increase snoring at night. The treatment for this can be medical or surgical. In chronic situations, only surgery gives lasting solutions.