In Japan, cases of allergic rhinitis and vasomotor rhinitis have remarkably increased in recent years. There are many cases which can not be relieved by the present, conservative measures.
In our department, trans-antral Vidian neurectomies were carried out on these cases in accordance with Golding-Wood's method. (The literature on this subject was summarized in prologue)
The following examinations were pre-and-postoperatively carried out; allergen intracutaneous test, induced reaction, eosinophil count in blood, X-ray maxillary sinus mucous membrane function test and histo-pathological examination in which biopsies were taken from the inferior turbinate mucosa 20 minutes after the induced reaction.
Fifty cases revealed complete relief among 55 cases of allergic and vasomotor rhinitis. This shows a success rate of 90.9 per cent
Futhermore, 11 cases of chronic sinusitis with swollen turbinate but without sneezing which were thought nonspecific type from over 40 sorts allergen intracutaneous test were operated and 9 cases postoperatively showed relief from the nasal obstruction.
Many observations and reseaches point out that the mast cells play a role in allergic states. Their presence, multiplicity and their state of degranulations have important diagnostic values. Histopathological examinations from the turbinate postoperatively showed a little more mast cells than preoperatively in number, and both preoperatively and postoperatively could reveal little difference in the degranulation processes in our series.