Ear, nose & throat · UKMLA & AKT
Nasal polyps
A free high-yield preview for the UKMLA Applied Knowledge Test, covering how to recognise this condition. The full SA Note notes add investigations, management and complications, with practice questions on this topic.
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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