[Evaluation of the effect of intranasal corticosteroid sprays on radiofrequency tissue ablation in the treatment of hypertrophied inferior turbinate].

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the effect of combining the confidingly preferred modality of radiofrequency (RF) application with intranasal corticosteroid spray treatment on the efficacy of RF and on the number of sessions in patients with hypertrophy of inferior turbinate. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty patients (37 males, 13 females; mean age 42.9 years; range 15 to 74 years) who admitted with the complaint of nasal obstruction and were detected to have hypertrophied inferior turbinate by nasal endoscopy were enrolled in the study. The patients were divided into two groups, each consisting of 25 patients. Before the treatment, the severity of nasal obstruction was evaluated and scored by a visual analogue scale (VAS). Radiofrequency was applied to every patient. Control group received no medical treatment following RF application. Drug group received mometasone furoate nasal spray (MFNS) at a dose of 200 mcg once daily into both nasal passages for eight weeks following surgery. All patients were asked to return for a control visit at week eight after treatment. Radiofrequency application was repeated in patients who continued to have complaints of nasal blockage. At the end of treatment, patients were reevaluated and VAS scores were recorded.
RESULTS: The improvement in VAS scores following treatment was statistically significant in both groups (p<0.05). When the two groups were compared, there was no statistical difference between the two groups before treatment; however there was an improvement in the post-treatment corticostreoid group (p<0.05). The mean session number was calculated to be 1.16 in the control group and 1.08 in the corticosteroid treatment group. The difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (p>0.05).
CONCLUSION: We recommend the use of intranasal corticosteroids with RF applications to increase the efficacy of radiofrequency.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes