Infectious Diseases of the Head and Neck
The antecedent history of viral
URI likely contributes to the specificity of these symptoms for
ABRS, but the extent to which this is true has not been
quantified. Similarly, although the differential diagnosis of
isolated nasal obstruction or facial pain is broad (and beyond
the scope of this guideline), the specificity for ABRS increases
when coupled with concurrent purulent nasal discharge (Table
5). For example, migraine headaches, tension headaches, and
dental abscess can mimic rhinosinusitis pain, but the absence
of purulent nasal discharge excludes this diagnosis based on
our definition.
Additional signs and symptoms of ABRS include fe-
ver, cough, fatigue (malaise), hyposomia, anosmia, max-
illary dental pain, and ear fullness or...
