The objective of the present study was to compare the effects of continuous ultrasound (CUS) with pulsed ultrasound (PUS) in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). In this prospective, randomized, double-blind, parallel group study, 40 patients (10 losses) with CRS participated. Patients received either continuous or pulsed (1:9) 1 MHz ultrasound (US) using a US head of 1 cm2 at 1 W/cm2 and 0.5 W/cm2 for the maxillary and frontal sinuses, respectively. Treatment was performed in 10 sessions, 3 days per week, with US given every other day. The primary outcome measure was percent improvement in the Sinusitis Symptom Score. Measurements were taken before and after 10 treatment sessions. The patients were followed up monthly for 2 months. After treatment, both groups improved significantly on the Sinusitis Symptoms Score. Patients who received PUS had significantly decreased total symptom scores compared with patients receiving CUS (mean change 9.8 vs. 5.6, p = 0.049). The percent improvement in the Sinusitis Symptom Score between the PUS group (65.2 SD 23.1) and the CUS group (43.9 SD 40.7) was not statistically significant (p = 0.09). The effect size for each treatment was large; PUS: d = 3.92 and CUS: d = 1.93. Symptom improvement in both groups was similar at the 2-month follow-up. These results support the use of therapeutic US for CRS. This pilot study gives only marginal evidence to favor PUS over CUS.
Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a common inflammatory disease of the nose and paranasal sinuses that has a significant impact on patients' quality of life. No study has examined the effectiveness of applying low-level laser therapy (LLLT) locally over the sinuses in patients with CRS. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of LLLT in patients with CRS. Fifteen adult patients with CRS participated in this pilot pretest-posttest clinical study. Patients were treated with a 830-nm Ga-Al-As laser in continuous-wave mode at a power output of 30 mW and energy dose of 1 J. Laser irradiation was delivered on six points over each maxillary or frontal sinus with 33 sec irradiation for each point and a total treatment duration of 198 sec for each sinus. Patients were given LLLT three times per week for ten treatment sessions. Patients were asked to score their symptoms in accordance with a four-point scale (0-3), and a total symptom score (TSS) for each patient was calculated. Percentage improvement of TSS was considered as the primary outcome measure. TSS was calculated at baseline (T0), at 2 weeks (T1) and at 4 weeks (T2). The TSS was improved significantly at T1 (39%) and at T2 (46.34%). A large effect size for LLLT was found (ηp(2) ηp(2) = 0.63). The therapeutic effect was sustained for a mean of 5 months. This pilot study indicates that LLLT applied for 4 weeks improves symptoms in patients with CRS.
Therapeutic ultrasound, an important physiotherapy modality, has been used successfully in the treatment of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). No study has compared pulsed ultrasound (PUS) with erythromycin phonophoresis (EP). The aim of this randomized, double-blind, parallel group study with concealed allocation was to compare PUS with EP. Sixty CRS patients were randomly allocated into two groups. Group 1 had PUS and Group 2 had EP. Patients were treated 3 days a week for 10 sessions over 4 weeks. The severity of nine CRS symptoms was self-rated by patients on an ordinal scale of 0-3 (absent, mild, moderate or severe) at baseline and after the 10th treatment session. Individual symptom scores were summed to obtain a "Total Symptom Score" (TSS). The outcome measure included percentage improvement in the TSS. A statistically significant improvement in TSS occurred with both PUS and EP therapy groups (p < 0.05). The percentage improvement in the EP group was statistically greater than in the PUS group (67.2 versus 49.3%) (p = 0.03). The effect sizes in both therapy groups were large; PUS: d = 1.36 and EP: d = 2.15. EP was found to be superior over PUS therapy.
This case report demonstrates that pulsed ultrasound (US), when used for a total of 20 treatment sessions, provided symptom relief to a patient with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). A 16-year-old boy with a 12-month history of rhinosinusitis and candidate for sinus surgery was referred for ultrasound therapy. He presented with facial pain/pressure, nasal obstruction, and postnasal drip (total sinusitis score=7). On computed tomographic (CT) scanning, the total opacification of the right maxillary sinus was observed. The ostiomeatal complex was occluded (total CT score=6). Pulsed ultrasound was administered three times a week, every other day. After 10 treatment sessions, his symptoms were resolved with exception of nasal obstruction being mild (total sinusitis score=2). On CT scan, right maxillary sinus showed partial improvement (total CT score=2). After additional 10 treatments, the nasal obstruction was resolved, and follow-up CT scan of his sinuses showed that right maxillary sinus was clear and normal. At 6-month follow-up, the positive effects were maintained and the patient reported no recurrence of symptoms. Twenty sessions of pulsed ultrasound therapy eradicated the CRS and resolved the symptoms.
Bacterial biofilms have been implicated in many chronic infective diseases, including chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Therapeutic ultrasound enhances the breakdown of bacterial biofilms and is clinically effective in CRS treatment, while phonophoresis has also been utilized for antibiotic delivery through the skin. The objective of this case report is to describe the results of a novel treatment, erythromycin phonophoresis, in a woman with CRS. A 31-year-old woman with a 7-month history of CRS refractory to conventional medical management was treated with erythromycin phonophoresis to both maxillary sinuses. Individual sinus symptom severity was assessed and sinus CT scans were obtained both pretreatment and posttreatment. After treatment, the total sinusitis symptom score improved from 12 to 0 and the CT scan showed almost complete disease resolution. At 5-month follow-up, the patient reported sustained improvement. Erythromycin phonophoresis has potential as an effective treatment for CRS.
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