Predictors for Development of Chronic Rhinosinusitis in Transplant Recipients.

Objectives: Studies suggest that transplant patients are at a higher risk of developing chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). However, there is a dearth of studies describing the factors that may be linked to the development of CRS in this population. Our objective is to identify the risk factors associated with the development of CRS in transplant recipients.

Study design: Retrospective cohort.

Setting: Tertiary care center.

Methods: This cohort included 3347 transplant recipients seen between 2017 and 2022. Of these, 2128 patients met the inclusion criteria and were grouped according to whether they were diagnosed with CRS during the post-transplant period. The analysis included both univariate and multivariate analysis to ascertain the odds ratio (OR) and predictive factors.

Results: Of the 2128 patients, 649/2128 (30.4%) had CRS. CRS patients had an increased prevalence of previous endoscopic sinus surgery, allergic rhinitis, and recurrent acute rhinosinusitis in the pre-transplant period compared to the non-CRS group. According to the multivariate analysis, patients with primary immunodeficiency and additional transplant were 1.9 and 3.1 times more likely to develop CRS during the posttransplant period (95% CI: 1.3-2.6, p < .0001), (95% CI: 1.3 -7.3, p = .01), respectively. Sirolimus use was also associated with the development of CRS (OR = 1.4, 95% CI: 1.1-1.9, p = .01).

Conclusion: This study is the largest cohort aimed at determining the predictive factors associated with the development of CRS. Patients with pretransplant rhinologic conditions, hematologic deficiencies, and the utilization of specific immunosuppressants were found to have a higher likelihood of developing CRS following transplantation.