Results of Radiofrequency Ablation of Inferior Turbinate Hypertrophy in Patients with Allergic and Non-Allergic Rhinitis

Özet

Objectives: For the treatment of the inferior turbinate hypertrophy that is unresponsive to medical treatment, turbinate surgerywith radiofrequency is a widely used method. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of turbinate surgery with radiofrequency ablationfor the treatment of turbinate hypertrophy, and compare the results of patients with allergic rhinitis and non-allergic rhinitis.Methods: A total of 59 consecutive patients aged 18–67 years (mean 37±13) who underwent radiofrequency ablation to the inferiorturbinate at our tertiary care hospital from September 2017 to January 2018 were enrolled in this prospective nonrandomizedclinical study. The patients with allergic rhinitis (n=23) were classed as group 1, and the patients with non-allergic rhinitis (n=36)were classed as group 2. Endoscopic nasal examination and an acoustic rhinometer were applied, and a standard 0–10 visual analogscale (VAS) was used to assess nasal symptoms preoperatively and postoperatively at the third and sixth months.Results: The study found a significant reduction in nasal obstruction for both groups postoperatively. This reduction was higher ingroup 1. The decrease in nasal VAS scores for itching, rhinorrhea, and sneezing were statistically significant in group 1, whereas thedecrease in nasal VAS scores for sneezing was significant in group 2.Conclusion: This study demonstrates that radiofrequency appears to be an effective and safe treatment option for inferior turbinatehypertrophy of patients with allergic rhinitis or non-allergic rhinitis. It also provides a better perception of all nasal symptoms inpatients with allergic rhinitis, and a better perception of nasal obstruction and sneezing in patients with non-allergic rhinitis.