[Topical intranasal cortisone therapy]

Owing to improvements made during the last 15 years in the pathophysiological and pharmacological research, many new corticosteroids have been successfully experimented. They have high activity on the target organ and they are suitable for long term therapies since they have not any systemic and/or local side effects. Nowadays the topical intranasal corticosteroid therapy is indispensable for allergic rhinitis treatment and it is very useful for many nasal and bronchopulmonary diseases (some chronic rhinitis, nasal polyposis, bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive bronchopulmonary diseases). The authors use their personal experience and carefully review the literature to describe the general aspects (pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, toxicology, side effects and contraindications) and to analyze the single drugs currently used in Italy and abroad. Finally, they compare the efficacy of each topical intranasal glucocorticoid among themselves and with other drugs.