title: Combined medical and surgical therapy improves olfaction in patients with nasal polyposis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to evaluate the outcomes of combined oral steroid, nasal steroid and surgical therapy in patients with impaired olfaction due to nasal polyposis.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective observational study was undertaken in the otolaryngology department of a university hospital. During the study, 19 nasal polyposis patients were evaluated three times, i.e. before oral steroid therapy, before surgery (after steroid therapy) and after surgery, with smell identification tests, acoustic rhinometry, subjective smell score, endoscopic grading and a visual analog scale for nasal obstruction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All subjective and objective measures were significantly improved after medical and surgical therapy (p < 0.01). The median smell identification score improved from 2 (interquartile range 0-4) to 5 (interquartile range 4-7) after combined therapy. Smell identification scores were found to be modestly correlated with all other examination findings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combined therapy seems efficient in improving smell identification scores of nasal polyposis patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ayçiçek
authors.forename: Orhan Kemal
authors.initials: OK
authors.lastname: Kahveci
authors.forename: Murat Cem
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Miman
authors.forename: Abidin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Duran
authors.forename: Hüseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yildiz
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009298:Nasal Polyps / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D023842:Rhinometry, Acoustic; D012903:Smell / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013256:Steroids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013256:Steroids