Objective:

To determine the association between environmental exposure factors and chronic rhinosinusitis in patients of the ESE Hospital Universitario del Caribe, Cartagena (Colombia).

Materials and methods:

Case-control study with 66patients diagnosed with (CSR) according to the 2012 EPOS (European Position Paper on Rhinosinusitis and Nasal Polyps) criteria and 66 controls. Demographic data, exposure to environmental toxins, type and severity of CSR were obtained, OR and confidence intervals were calculated applying logistic regression.

Results:

Of the 132 patients (90 women and 42 men) only 9 (3 cases and 6 controls) had smoking habit, 68% of the cases of CSR were non-polypoid. Statistically significant differences were observed in the history of asthma (p <0.05) and paint exposure (p <0.05). No statistically significant associations were found with the rest of the exposure variables included in the analysis.

Conclusions:

In our study, paint exposure and the history of asthma implied a greater risk of developing CSR than non-exposure to these environmental factors in a sample of patients living in the city of Cartagena. New studies with larger sample sizes that determine the exact mechanism by which these factors increase the risk of developing CSR would allow a better understanding of the disease etiology. Therefore, an approach from public health is necessary for the generation of health policies that promote the adequate management of chemical substances in highly industrial contexts, taking into account the potential impact of these on respiratory diseases.

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