[Bone mineral density after treatment for nasal polyposis]. / Traitement médical de la polypose naso-sinusienne. Effet sur la densité minérale osseuse.

PURPOSE: Medical treatment of nasal polyposis is based on corticotherapy, and the most frequent complication of long-term corticotherapy is corticosteroid-induced osteoporosis. OBJECTIVE: To assess bone mineral density after long-term, high-dose corticosteroid treatment for nasal polyposis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Bone mineral density at the spine and hip was measured by absorptiometry in 32 patients who had received high doses of corticosteroids for nasal polyposis. None of them had a disease that interfered with bone mineral density RESULTS: Bone mineral density was measured in 32 patients (59% men) aged 49.7 +/- 3.7 years [range: 29 - 74] after corticosteroid therapy for a mean of 5.3 years [range: 2-22 years]. More than 70% of the patients had abnormal bone density (osteopenia or osteoporosis ) at the spine and 44% at the hip. Only eight (25%) patients had normal bone density at both the spine and hip. CONCLUSION: High doses of corticosteroids in the treatment of nasal polyposis affect bone mineral density. Assessment of the benefits and risks of endoscopic sinus surgery must take this iatrogenic risk into account.

Correlation between nasosinusal symptoms and topographic diagnosis in chronic rhinosinusitis.

Rhinitis and sinusitis concern roughly a quarter of the population in the Western world. They are associated with a wide range of symptoms: nasal obstruction, anterior and posterior nasal discharge, sneezing episodes, facial pain or congestion, and taste and smell disorders. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the clinical significance of these various symptoms as a function of the topographic diagnosis of chronic rhinosinusitis. The study involved 474 patients with signs of chronic perennial and persistent rhinosinusitis. The disorders of the nasal cavities and paranasal sinuses were classified into three main diagnostic categories: chronic rhinitis, localized sinusitis (mainly, anterior sinusitis), and diffuse rhinosinusitis (ie, nasal polyposis). A principal components analysis was performed. The symptom patterns of the three main clinical entities differed greatly. Most of the following clinical signs--nasal obstruction, anterior and posterior nasal discharge, sneezing, and facial congestion--are found in all diagnostic categories and hold no specific clinical significance. By contrast, four symptoms seem to have a substantial differentiating potential: anosmia and complete loss of flavor for diffuse rhinosinusitis, cacosmia for localized anterior sinusitis, and severe facial pain for localized sinusitis. This study proposes a new analysis of the relationship between symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis and findings on a sinus computed tomography scan.

Medical treatment of stage I nasal polyposis over a 3-year follow-up period.

PURPOSE: To determine the effects of a standardized therapeutic protocol (short-term oral administration of prednisolone and daily intranasal spray of beclometasone) on stage I nasal polyposis over a follow-up period of 3 years. PROCEDURES: Assessments (evaluation of nasal function and drug consumption) were conducted at baseline and every 3 months on 54 consecutive patients with stage I nasal polyposis during 3 years. RESULTS: Over the follow-up period of 3 years, this dual modality proved to be successful in 87% of the subjects; only 13% had to undergo surgery after its failure. The average symptom reduction reached an improvement rate varying from 66 to 94.8%, according to the symptom type. The daily dosage of prednisolone and beclometasone was progressively decreased, while the gain in nasal comfort was being preserved. CONCLUSION: Management of stage I nasal polyps should be primarily medical.

Medical management of nasal polyposis: a study in a series of 152 consecutive patients.

BACKGROUND: The management of nasal polyps is undoubtedly a controversial subject. The medical treatment remains the undisputed therapeutic mainstay but most of the publications are aimed at the registration of new molecules from the pharmaceutical industry which explains why they are confined to a single agent. DESIGN: The aim of this study is focused on the evaluation of a dual modality on a series of 152 subjects treated according to a standardized protocol combining a short-term administration of prednisolone and the daily intranasal spraying of beclomethasone. RESULTS: Over the follow-up period of one year, this modality proved to be successful in 68.5% of the subjects; only 31.5% had to undergo surgery after its failure. In the former group, after a six months period, the average symptom reduction reached an improvement rate varying from 35 to 80%, according to the symptom type. During the ensuing six months follow-up period, the improvement was maintained. The average utilization of prednisolone and beclomethasone was assessed for each individual patient. CONCLUSION: Management of nasal polyps should be primarily medical. Resorting to surgical procedures should not be envisaged before a six months trial of dual steroid therapy under strict compliance to treatment.

Corticosteroid treatment in nasal polyposis with a three-year follow-up period.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: The management of nasal polyposis is undoubtedly a controversial subject. The part played by surgery seems to be steadily growing, if the number of published reports dedicated to this approach is any yardstick. Although the medical treatment remains the undisputed therapeutic mainstay, trials dedicated to the long-term assessment of its overall efficacy are scarce. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective medical record review. METHODS: The aim of the study is focused on the evaluation of a dual modality, topical and systemic, over a follow-up period of 3 years. In all, 100 patients were treated according to a standardized therapeutic protocol combining short-term oral administration of prednisolone and daily intranasal spray of beclomethasone. RESULTS: Over the follow-up period of 3 years, this dual modality proved to be successful in 85% of the patients; only 15% had to undergo surgery after its failure. The average symptom reduction reached an improvement rate varying from 58% to 80%, according to the symptom type. The daily dosage of prednisolone and beclomethasone was progressively decreased while the gain in nasal comfort was being preserved. CONCLUSIONS: Management of nasal polyps should be primarily medical. Resorting to surgical procedures should not be envisaged before a trial is conducted of dual steroid therapy under a regimen of strict compliance to treatment.

[Sino-nasal polyposis. Evaluation of the efficacy of combined local and general corticotherapy in a series of 100 consecutive patients with a 3-year follow-up]. / Polypose naso-sinusienne. Evaluation de l'efficacité de la corticothérapie mixte, locale et générale, dans une série de 100 malades consécutifs avec un suivi de trois ans.

Nasal polyposis accounts for 40% of chronic nasal disease. The part played by surgery seems to be steadily growing if the number of publications dedicated to this approach is any yardstick. The medical treatment remains however the undisputed therapeutic mainstay but trials dedicated to the assessment of its overall efficacy are rather scarce. The aim of this study is focused on the evaluation of a dual modality, topical and systemic, over a follow-up period of three years. A total of 100 subjects were treated according to a standardized therapeutic protocol combining a short-term oral administration of a corticosteroid (prednisolone) and a daily intranasal spray of an other steroid (beclomethasone). Over the follow-up period of three years, this dual modality proved to be successful in 85% of the subjects; only 15% had to undergo surgery after its failure. The average symptom reduction reached an improvement rate varying from 58 to 80%, according to the symptom type. The daily dosage of prednisolone and beclomethasone was progressively decreased while the gain in nasal comfort was being preserved. Management of nasal polyps should be primarily medical. Resorting to surgical procedures should not be envisaged before a trial of dual steroid therapy under strict compliance to treatment. The single character of this long follow-up and the importance of the series of patients included in the protocol make all the originality of this work which shows for the first time the long-term improvement after medical treatment.