Abstract
In the present study, the efficacy of combined treatment with macrolide and antihistamines for treating NAwCRS was examined in detail, and the clinical effectiveness was compared using CT findings. The subjects included 25 patients with NAwCRS who visited the otolaryngology clinic of Kagoshima University Hospital and related facilities between December 2006 and June 2011. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups using the envelope method and treated with nonsedating antihistamines only or combination therapy with antihistamines and macrolide. Subjective symptoms, objective findings and CT scores were evaluated before and three months after treatment. The objective findings improved in 67% of the patients in the monotherapy group and 100% of the patients in the combination group, which was a significant difference between the two groups. Furthermore, the subjective symptoms and CT findings remarkably improved following combination therapy compared to monotherapy in the patients with diffuse-type CT findings. These findings suggest that combination treatment with macrolide and antihistamines is superior to monotherapy with antihistamines for treating NAwCRS, especially in patients exhibiting diffuse-type sinus pathology on CT.
