title: [Clinical effect of bipolar radiofrequency thermotherapy on allergic rhinitis].
abstract: The clinical effect of bipolar radiofrequency thermotherapy on allergic rhinitis was evaluated. A bipolar radiofrequency system (CelonLab ENT) was used to treat 16 patients suffering from allergic rhinitis between February 2003 and August 2003. The thermotherapy was performed under local anesthesia at the otolaryngology outpatient clinic of St. Marianna University Toyoko Hospital. Data were collected by questionnaire and rhinomanometry preoperatively and 2 months postoperatively. The mean visual analogue scale (VAS) score for intraoperative pain was 31 mm (range, 0-100), and nearly all the patients felt no or a subtle pain during the thermotherapy. Postoperative pain was also well tolerated, with nearly all the patients not requiring analgesic drugs. Postoperative bleeding was minor, and none of the patients required additional treatment for bleeding. Nearly all the patients reported an improvement in their nasal patency, rhinorrhea, headaches, and sleeping. Statistically significant improvements were observed for all the measured VAS scores: nasal patency, rhinorrhea, headache, and olfactory function. Nasal resistance, as measured by anterior rhinomanometry, significantly improved after treatment. The effect of decongestion was also measured using anterior rhinomanometry. The ratio of nasal resistance before and after decongestion was significantly higher after thermotherapy, suggesting that nasal decongestion had a smaller effect on nasal patency after treatment. The current results suggest that the CelonLab ENT device is an effective and safe treatment for allergic rhinitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, St. Marianna University Toyoko Hospital, Kawasaki.
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Oyake
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ochi
authors.forename: Mitsuharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takatsu
authors.forename: Toshiharu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shintani
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Umehara
authors.forename: Izumi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Koizuka
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome