title: Evaluation of radiofrequency thermal ablation results in inferior turbinate hypertrophies by magnetic resonance imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Nasal obstruction caused by inferior turbinate hypertrophies is one of the most frequent problems in otolaryngology. Treatment of this disease may involve medical and surgical methods. Thermal ablation with radiofrequency energy has become quite popular in the recent years as one of the surgical methods used when medical therapy is not adequate.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, clinical trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thermal ablation with radiofrequency energy was used in this study on the inferior turbinates of 21 patients who had nasal obstruction caused by inferior turbinate hypertrophy only. The results were evaluated subjectively by preoperative and postoperative patient- and physician-assigned visual analogue scales and objectively by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) investigation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  By the end of the postoperative week 10, 64.76% recovery was detected according to the patient evaluation, and 40.75% recovery was detected according to the physician evaluation. Measurement of the average volumes of the inferior turbinates by MRI revealed a 8.70% postoperative reduction. The most significant change was detected in the anterior-posterior length measurement performed in the axial plane.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that thermal ablation with radiofrequency energy is an easily applied, efficient, and reliable technique in treatment of the inferior turbinate hypertrophy, and that anterior-posterior length measurement in the axial section of the inferior turbinate by MRI, which is thought as an objective evaluation method, could be an efficient diagnostic tool in detecting the efficiency of radiofrequency on inferior turbinate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tarik
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sapci
authors.forename: Canan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Usta
authors.forename: M Fatih
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Evcimik
authors.forename: Ziya
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bozkurt
authors.forename: Elcin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aygun
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karavus
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014420:Turbinates / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*