Therapeutic Effects of Radiofrequency and Intranasal Corticosteroid on Rhinomanometry in Patients With Inferior Turbinate Hypertrophy

Abstract

Background: Inferior turbinate hypertrophy (ITH) is one of the common causes of nasal obstruction. In some case with ITH due to allergic rhinitis medical therapy can be useful and in cases with refractory ITH surgical techniques may be helpful. Although there is no excellence [or superiority] among these surgical methods, radiofrequency (RF) has recently become popular. Objectives: This study compared the therapeutic effects of intranasal corticosteroid and RF in patients with ITH due to allergic rhinitis. Patients and Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, patients with ITH due to allergic rhinitis, referred to Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences Allergy Clinic, were randomly assigned to RF and intranasal corticosteroid spray groups (fluticasone 125 µg). Patients were evaluated by the symptoms severity, which were measured by visual analogue scale (0-10 score) and rhinomanometry, four times (before the intervention and the 1st, 3rd and 6th month after the intervention). Data were analyzed by SPSS version 21. Results: Sixty patients with ITH due to allergic rhinitis were evaluated, among which 26 were male and 34 were female. The mean age was 35.5 ± 8.86 years old and the mean body mass index (BMI) was 22.97 ± 3.12 kg/m2. There was no significant difference in demographic data among the groups. All the patients showed significant improvements in symptoms severities and rhinomanometry at all the after intervention visits. The best results were obtained in the 6th month of follow-up. The mean nasal obstruction severity and rhinomanometry results were significantly higher in the RF group at all the after intervention visits (P < 0.05). Conclusions: According to the results, we suggest using RF technique for patients with ITH due to allergic rhinitis, which is an outpatient procedure with local anesthesia; long-term effects of these two therapeutic methods (corticosteroid an RF) could be evaluated in future studies.