Topical therapies for management of chronic rhinosinusitis: steroid implants

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) causes severe symptoms that lead to poor quality of life. When optimal medical therapy does not improve CRS symptoms, then endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) can be used in patients with persistent symptoms and radiographic evidence of CRS to improve patients' symptoms and quality of life. Despite appropriate and complete sinus surgery, there can be issues after sinus surgery such as synechiae formation and recurrence of polyps in certain CRS patients that can decrease long-term outcomes. Corticosteroids are used to decrease postoperative scarring and edema as well as prevent recurrence of nasal polyp formation after sinus surgery. However, the use of oral or systemic steroid can lead to serious short-term and long-term complications. Therefore, a safer alternative would be the topical delivery of steroid via steroid-eluting sinus implants.

A literature review was performed to identify clinical studies evaluating steroid-eluting implants. Two forms of steroid-eluting implants were identified, Propel family products and Sinuva. The research findings from clinical studies using various steroid-eluting sinus implants are reviewed and discussed.

Four prospective randomized clinical studies were identified for the Propel family products. Two prospective randomized clinical studies were identified for Sinuva. The results from the clinical studies showed that the use of the various steroid-eluting sinus implants can improve postoperative results after ESS as well as treat the recurrence of nasal polyps after sinus surgery without the need for additional sinus surgery.

The novel steroid-eluting implants appear to be beneficial for CRS patients immediately post-operatively as well as for nasal polyps patients. Interestingly, these implants could be used as a substitute for the beneficial effect of systemic steroid use for CRS patients.