clinical features
Last reviewed 01/2018
Symptoms may include:
- progressive nasal obstruction
- rhinorrhoea - usually clear; green suggests infection; if serosanguinous, suspect carcinoma
- post nasal drip
- anosmia
- sneezing
Pain suggests secondary sinusitis.
A bleeding polyp may present with epistaxis.
Signs may include:
- hyponasal voice - as if the patient has a cold
- pale grey mucosal sacs inside the nose, usually bilateral; in severe cases, these may prolapse outside the nostril
- polyps are insensitive if probed and mobile; turbinates are sensitive and fixed
In children with cystic fibrosis, polyps that develop before the facial bones fuse may produce hypertelorism. This is a result of pressure in the ethmoid sinuses forcing the growing skull apart.
Nasal polyps may be part of Samter's triad.