Topical antibiotic therapy of chronic rhinosinusitis

Many different treatment options for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) exist, but questions remain regarding the best options. Although oral and intravenous antimicrobial therapies have traditionally been prescribed to manage CRS, topical administration of these agents has gained increasing popularity over the past few years. Topical antimicrobial agents are preferable because of their ability to localize delivery to the sinonasal mucosa and minimize the systemic effects seen with oral agents. This quality is especially important in treatment of biofilms, where higher concentrations of antibiotics are usually required. This article gives a brief overview of CRS and provides a summary of recent studies using topical agents for treatment of bacterial and fungal sinusitis.