Abstract
The efficacy of combination therapy using an antiallergic agent, fexofenadine hydrochloride, and a macrolide, clarithromycin, in allergic rhinitis patients exhibiting a shadow in their paranasal sinus X-ray findings was evaluated by comparing the results with treatment using an antiallergic alone. The total clinical efficacy rates were 17.4% (4/23) in the single-agent group and 57.1% (16/28) in the combination group, and the rate was significantly higher in the combination group. For subjec tive symptoms, the combination therapy was shown to be significantly superior in improving postna sal discharge, cough and discomfort in the throat, while for objective findings, it was also shown to be significantly more effective in reducing the amount of pituita than an antiallergic agent alone. How ever, for the other findings, there was no significant difference between the two treatments. An X ray evaluation revealed an improvement in 5.0% of the patients (1/20) in the single-agent group and an improvement in 45.5% of the patients (10/22) in the combination group, and this improvement rate was significantly high in the patients receiving the combination therapy. From these results, for allergic rhinitis the patients exhibiting shadows in the paranasal sinus X-ray findings, the com bination therapy with an antiallergic agent and a macrolide was therefore considered to be more effec tive than the treatment with an antiallergic agent alone.
