Bacteriological findings in sinusitis (1963-1975).

Two different studies were performed in order to determine the role of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria in sinusitis. Aerobes: A retrospective study of 331 cases of all types of sinusitis (from 1963 till 1975) showed an increasing occurrence of Haemophilus influenzae during the last three years. Only in the acute sinusitis is Streptococcus pneumoniae more frequently found than Haemophilus influenzae, which exhibits the highest occurrence in chronic and undeterminable cases. We found cultures with pathogenic aerobes in 64% of the acute and 56% of the chronic cases of sinusitis. Anaerobes: A prospective study of 100 sinus secretions from 66 patients with paranasal sinusitis showed the great importance of anaerobes; they were present in 33% of samples, pure anaerobic cultures in 12% and mixed aerobic-anaerobic in 21%. Peptostreptococcus sp. showed the highest occurrence (15%). Anaerobic sinusitis is more frequent in unilateral cases. The presence of anaerobes is not dependent on the patient's age or the duration of the sinusitis. In 76% the anaerobes disappeared after the initial antral irrigation.