title: Allergic rhinosinusitis: the total rhinologic disease.
abstract: Allergic rhinosinusitis has three forms of therapy: pharmacotherapy, immunotherapy, and surgical therapy. Pharmacotherapeutically, there are six classes of drugs that give symptomatic relief: mucolytics, decongestants, anti-cholinergic agents, antihistamines, mast cell stabilizers, and corticosteroids. All six classes are discussed individually and in detail. For immunotherapeutic therapy of allergic rhinosinusitis, there are four types of skin testing in current use: scratch testing, prick testing, single intradermal testing, and skin end point titration testing. Only the latter is able to quantitate the antigenicity of each antigen, and thus the treatment vial made from only this type of skin testing can adequately treat all antigens to which the patient is sensitive. These differences in testing and vial mixing are explained. The last form of therapy is surgical therapy, which corrects the obstructive phenomenon caused by allergic rhinosinusitis. The procedures described are reduction inferior turbinectomies and endoscopic sinus surgery. It is felt by the authors that the specialist who is uniquely positioned to offer a patient suffering from allergic rhinosinusitis all three forms of therapy is the rhinologist.
authors.affiliation: Louisiana State University, Shreveport.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Trevino
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Gordon
mesh_terms: D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005100:Expectorants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006635:Histamine H2 Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology; D007167:Immunotherapy; D008297:Male; D010276:Parasympatholytics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000601:surgery; D012882:Skin Tests
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D005100:Expectorants; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists; D006635:Histamine H2 Antagonists; D010276:Parasympatholytics; D007073:Immunoglobulin E