With the famous Saturday night lights and the UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital just outside the window, members of Internal Medicine as well as specialists from across the state spent the day in the University of Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium Press Box earlier this month. “Current Topics in Allergy and Clinical Immunology: Sinonasal Diseases: Bugs and Drugs,” a Division of Immunology-sponsored event provided a platform to present the latest clinical allergy discoveries.
Keynote speaker Robert Naclerio, MD, from John Hopkins Medicine kicked off the conference with a lecture about the environmental and medical impacts on the microbiome. Naclerio’s presentation detailed how the microbiome develops in the first 18 months of life, and the sex of the baby, mode of delivery, presence of siblings and infant care attendance all impact the microbiome’s development. Smoking, age, and asthma later on in life can also affect the microbiome and increase chances of rhinitis. Naclerio wrapped up his keynote by advising researchers to conduct more large-scale studies on the microbiome’s connection to rhinitis.
Following Naclerio’s keynote, Jarret Walsh, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Otolaryngology, presented a rundown of the endotypes of chronic sinsusitis. With as many as 1 in 3 people experiencing allergic rhinitis, Walsh says in order to understand the endotypes and the phenotypes of sinsustis, providers should look at a combination of symptoms as well as biological markers and form a cluster analysis based on these factors. Including information about the pathology and management of sinsusitis, Walsh recommends using aspirin desensitization until less expensive and more effective therapies rather than surgery emerge.
Bharat Kumar, MD, MME, clinical assistant professor in Immunology, presented several different autoimmunity diseases related to the sinuses. This includes vascullitis, which affects the upper respiratory tract and kidneys and destroys the bridge of the nose.
Right before the lunch break and workshops, Shayna Melvani, clinical assistant professor in Immunology, described the impact of nasal polyps on the community and individual life quality. Melvani says that 11–12% of the population in the US and Europe experience nasal polyps, with an 80% reoccurrence rate. People with nasal polyps, Melvani said, experienced a lower quality of life than those with chronic heart failure or back pain. Patients with polyps tend to experience nasal drainage as well as a loss of smell. Melvani suggests therapies like anti-IgE treatments.
Following lunch, Joan Maley, MD, FACR, clinical professor of Neuroradiology, gave a presentation on sinonasal imaging. Anand Rajan Kanagasabapathy, MBBS, MD, provided a lecture about histopathology of sinonasal disease.
Fellow Erin Rasmussen, MD, lead a large group case study of three different cases involving complex symptoms. Audience members asked questions and offered up possible diagnoses and therapies.
Fellow Rob Szalweski, MD, created and hosted a game of Jeopardy where conference attendees answered questions about the topics of the day. The game served as a fun review session while wrapping up the day.
Congratulations and thank you to Planning Committee Members Benjamin Davis, MD, PhD; Diana Bayer, DO; Svjetlana Dolovcak, MD; Amy Dowden, MD; Mary Beth Fasano, MD; Jennifer Twombley, RN, BSN.