Use of immunotherapy in previously treated patients with allergic fungal sinusitis

Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2001 Nov;125(5):487-90. doi: 10.1067/mhn.2001.119585.

Abstract

Objective: Sixty patients with a diagnosis of allergic fungal sinusitis were studied. The objective was to show whether, after initial surgical removal of allergic mucin and polyps, immunotherapy decreases re-operation rates and office visits that require medical intervention.

Study design and setting: Sixty patients with adequate follow-up for at least 1 year were evaluated: 24 patients who did not receive immunotherapy and 36 patients whose treatment included postoperative immunotherapy.

Results: The re-operation rates were 33.0% in those not receiving immunotherapy versus 11.1% in the treated group. Furthermore, the total number of postoperative office visits that required medical therapy decreased from 4.79 per patient to 3.17 with the addition of immunotherapy.

Conclusion/significance: These results indicate that immunotherapy is a beneficial part of the overall treatment regimen for allergic fungal sinusitis.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Child
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mycoses / surgery
  • Mycoses / therapy
  • Reoperation
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Sinusitis / microbiology
  • Sinusitis / surgery
  • Sinusitis / therapy*
  • Treatment Outcome