Ear, nose & throat · UKMLA & AKT
Nasal polyps
A free high-yield preview for the UKMLA Applied Knowledge Test. Below are the key points to recognise nasal polyps — the full SA Note notes add investigations, management, complications and 10 practice questions.
Key high-yield points
- Nasal obstruction - bilateral, progressive, often worse at night; most common symptom
- Anosmia/hyposmia - blockage of olfactory cleft; may precede visible obstruction
- Rhinorrhoea - clear/mucoid; postnasal drip common
- Facial pressure/pain - suggests concurrent sinusitis; polyps alone rarely painful
- Examination - pale, grey, translucent, smooth, soft, insensate ("peeled grapes"); insensate and mobile unlike turbinates which are bony and tender
Unilateral nasal polyp = red flag. Must be referred urgently to ENT to exclude malignancy regardless of other symptoms. Bilateral polyps are usually benign/inflammatory and can be managed in primary care initially.
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