Background: This initiative aimed to elucidate the clinical relevance of type 2 (T2) inflammation as a driver of asthma, atopic dermatitis, chronic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and eosinophilic esophagitis. Methods: A steering committee (SC) conducted a non-systematic literature search to inform the design of a Delphi questionnaire including 23 consensus statements, which was circulated to 30 experts including the SC. Experts rated their agreement with each statement on a 9-point Likert scale and provided optional feedback that was used to develop a second Delphi questionnaire. On 22 October 2020, a meeting was held to discuss the conclusions from the questionnaires and explore how this initiative may impact the management of patients with T2 inflammation-driven disease. Post meeting, a consensus statement on the role of T2 inflammation in eosinophilic esophagitis was circulated to the experts. Results: It was agreed that T2 inflammation may be an underlying driver of asthma, atopic dermatitis, chronic rhinitis, CRSwNP and eosinophilic esophagitis, and that the published evidence suggests that these diseases overlap. Some of this overlap may include related multimorbid conditions driven by T2 inflammation. Thus, in patients with multiple T2 inflammation-driven diseases, a cross-speciality approach is warranted to provide effective care. A question guide with input from relevant experts was proposed, to identify comorbidities and facilitate appropriate holistic patient management. Conclusions: These consensus recommendations should be used as a framework to further understand the extent of T2 inflammation-driven multi-organ disease and to improve the holistic management and care of these patients.
Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is commonly associated with asthma. Treatment of CRSwNP includes intranasal and systemic corticosteroids, with non-responsive patients commonly considered for endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). This nationwide register-based study evaluated the incidence, prevalence, and treatment burden of CRSwNP in Finland, and their association with the presence and severity of comorbid asthma. Methods: Electronic health records of patients diagnosed with CRSwNP between 1.1.2012-31.12.2018 in Finnish specialty and primary care were included in the study. The patients were divided into subgroups based on presence, severity, and control of asthma: no asthma, mild to moderate asthma, severe controlled asthma, and severe uncontrolled asthma. A mean cumulative count of ESS was calculated over time per subgroup. Results: The prevalence of CRSwNP increased from 602.2 to 856.7 patients per 100 000 population between years 2012 and 2019 (p < 0.001). A total of 18 563 patients (59.9% male) had incident CRSwNP between 2012 and 2019, with 27% having asthma, 6% having severe asthma, and 1.5% having severe uncontrolled asthma. In the no asthma, severe controlled asthma, and severe uncontrolled asthma subgroups, systemic corticosteroids were used by 54.1%, 94.9% and 99.3% (p < 0.001), respectively, while the ESS count three years post diagnosis was 0.49, 0.68 and 0.80, respectively. Conclusions: The prevalence of CRSwNP showed a significant increase in the recent decade in Finland. Comorbid asthma, and in particular severe asthma, increased the probability of receiving systemic corticosteroids and undergoing ESS. Thus, improved management of CRSwNP in patients with comorbid asthma is urgently needed.

Mikko Nuutinen

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Background: Uncontrolled chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) needing consideration of surgery is a growing health problem yet its risk factors at individual level are not known. Our aim was to examine risk factors of revision endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) at the individual level by using artificial intelligence. Methods: Demographic and visit variables were collected from electronic health records (EHR) of 790 operated CRS patients. The effect of variables on the prediction accuracy of revision ESS was examined at the individual level via machine learning models. Results: Revision ESS was performed to 114 (14.7%) CRS patients. The logistic regression, gradient boosting and random forest classifiers had similar performance (AUC values .746, .745 and .747, respectively) for predicting revision ESS. The best performance was yielded by using logistic regression and long predictor data retrieval time (AUC .809, precision 36%, sensitivity 70%) as compared with data collection time from baseline visit until 0, 3 and 6 months after the baseline ESS (AUC values .668, .717 and .746, respectively). The number of visits, number of days from the baseline visit to the baseline ESS, age, CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), asthma, NERD and immunodeficiency or its suspicion were associated with revision ESS. Age and the number of visits before baseline ESS had non-linear effects for the predictions. Conclusions: Intelligent data analysis found important predictors of revision ESS at the individual level, such as visit frequency, age, Type 2 high diseases and immunodeficiency or its suspicion.