Premium
Topical corticosteroids applied with a squirt system are more effective than a nasal spray for steroid‐dependent olfactory impairment
Author(s) -
Shu ChihHung,
Lee PoLei,
Shiao AnSuey,
Chen KeeTak,
Lan MingYing
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1002/lary.23212
Subject(s) - medicine , corticosteroid , nasal administration , nasal spray , olfactory system , randomized controlled trial , surgery , pharmacology , psychiatry
Objectives/Hypothesis: Oral corticosteroids may restore conductive olfactory dysfunction that has been defined as steroid‐dependent olfactory loss, but the effect may be temporary. This study was designed to evaluate whether applying topical corticosteroids with a squirt system was more effective than using a nasal spray to maintain olfactory improvement following oral corticosteroids. Study Design: Prospective randomized trial enrolling 32 patients. Methods: Patients were enrolled if they had suffered from olfactory dysfunction for more than 3 months, and if their composite scores of odor threshold, discrimination, and identification scores in Sniffin' Sticks olfactory tests increased by more than six points after 1 week of oral corticosteroid treatment. A total of 32 patients were enrolled and randomized into two groups. All patients were treated with topical corticosteroids for 2 months using either the spray or squirt system, respectively. Results: Both measured and self‐rated olfactory functions after 1 and 2 months of topical corticosteroid treatment were better in the squirt group than in the spray group. However, 2 months of topical corticosteroid treatment with the squirt system only partially maintained olfactory improvement. Conclusions: The application of topical corticosteroids with a squirt system was more effective than with a spray in maintaining olfactory improvement with oral corticosteroid treatment. Nevertheless, it only partially maintained the improvement so that topical corticosteroid treatment using a squirt system needs to be combined with intervals of short‐term oral corticosteroids to treat steroid‐dependent olfactory loss while avoiding the side effects of long‐term oral corticosteroid use. Laryngoscope, 2012