Direct maxillary irrigation therapy in non-operated chronic sinusitis: a prospective randomised controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Rhinology
• Medical Research

Background:

• Chronic rhinosinusitis without polyps is a common condition.
• Management often involves pharmacological therapy.
• The role of direct maxillary sinus irrigation requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of pharmacological therapy with and without direct maxillary sinus saline irrigation.
• To evaluate outcomes in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis without polyps.

Main Methods:

• Prospective randomized controlled trial.
• 39 non-operated patients were assigned to saline irrigation plus pharmacological therapy or pharmacological therapy alone.
• Evaluated outcomes using endoscopy, Sino-Nasal Outcome Test, and Lund-MacKay CT scores.

Main Results:

• Both groups showed significant improvement in Lund-MacKay CT scores, with no inter-group difference.
• Nasal endoscopy scores improved significantly in the irrigation group but were similar to the control group.
• Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-20 showed improvement in both groups, with no significant difference between treatment arms.

Conclusions:

• Maxillary sinus irrigation with saline combined with pharmacological treatment improves endoscopic findings in chronic rhinosinusitis without polyps.
• This combined approach does not offer additional benefits for symptoms or imaging compared to conservative pharmacological treatment alone.