Upper Respiratory Tract Involvement in Cystic Fibrosis

Upper respiratory tract involvement is a prevalent comorbidity in patients with CF, which starts from early childhood and increases with age. For this reason, the upper airways of patients should be examined and their symptoms should be evaluated regularly. Medical treatment of upper respiratory tract involvement of CF includes nasal saline irrigation, nasal steroids, dornase alfa, and systemic or local antibiotics. With advances in treatment, recent studies show that using CFTR modulators reduce chronic rhinosinusitis severity. Surgical intervention is only recommended in specific cases. Functional endoscopic sinus surgery is often the primary surgical choice, although some patients may require more comprehensive or repeated surgery. Upper airway problems should be treated in close collaboration with an otolaryngologist who has experience with CF disease. Sinus infections can trigger lower respiratory exacerbation, and nasal polyps can cause sleep disorders. In this way, they can also be the cause of systemic problems. It is therefore important to maintain treatment.