title: Short-term effect of argon plasma coagulation of the inferior turbinate in patients with perennial nasal allergy.
abstract: The aim of this study was to clarify the short-term effects of argon plasma coagulation (APC) of the inferior turbinate in patients with perennial nasal allergy. In a retrospective study, 32 patients with perennial allergic rhinitis were treated by inferior turbinate reduction using APC. Grades of nasal stuffiness, rhinorrhea, sneezing, nasal airflow resistance (NAR) and overall seriousness were evaluated before and then 1-4 and 8 weeks after APC. Subjective symptoms were assessed using a questionnaire in which nasal stuffiness, rhinorrhea and sneezing were graded on a four-point scale (severe, moderate, mild and none) using the Severity Criteria of Symptoms of Nasal Allergy issued by the Japanese Society of Allergology. NAR was measured using active anterior rhinomanometry (AAR) at the 100 Pa point; this was deemed to be an objective measurement of nasal obstruction. The numbers of patients examined before and 1-4 and 8 weeks after APC were 32, 31, 25, 17, 18 and 14, respectively. Both nasal stuffiness and NAR were significantly improved 2 weeks after APC, overall seriousness was significantly improved after 3 weeks and rhinorrhea was improved after 4 weeks. Sneezing did not significantly improve during this study. There was no significant change in the grades of the examined parameters during the period between 4 and 8 weeks after APC. The beneficial effects of APC begin to appear within 2 weeks after APC and no further improvement after about 4 weeks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan. tokano.oto@tmd.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tokano
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maehara
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Nao
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Makino
authors.forename: Akemi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iwasaki
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kitamura
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000403:Airway Resistance; D001128:Argon; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017075:Laser Coagulation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D025363:Rhinomanometry; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012912:Sneezing; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014420:Turbinates / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D001128:Argon