Aspirin Desensitization Treatment for the Management of Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease

Abstract

Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) is a clinical syndrome characterized by nasal polyps, chronic hypertrophic eosinophilic sinusitis, asthma, and sensitivity to cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) inhibitors. The treatment of asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis in AERD is difficult, since those patients usually suffer from severe steroid dependent asthma and frequent recurrence of nasal polyps despite combined medical and surgical treatment. Aspirin desensitization (AD) can be considered as an additional treatment option in selected patients with AERD. Aspirin doses ranging from 100 to 1,300 mg/day were reported to be effective for this purpose.