The use of botulinum toxin in the treatment of rhinitis : a systematic review of the literature

• Κύριος συγγραφέας: Γκιουζέλης, Κωνσταντίνος
• Άλλοι συγγραφείς: Gkiouzelis, Konstantinos
• Γλώσσα: Greek
• Έκδοση: 2023
• Θέματα: Rhinitis; Allergic rhinitis; Non-allergic rhinitis; Botulinum toxin; Botulinum toxin type A; Quality of life; Ρινίτιδα; Αλλεργική ρινίτιδα; Μη αλλεργική ρινίτιδα; Βοτουλινική τοξίνη; Βοτουλινική τοξίνη τύπου Α; Ποιότητα ζωής

Chronic rhinitis is a common medical condition in the general population characterized by inflammation of the nasal mucosa and is primarily manifested by nasal congestion, rhinorrhea, and sneezing. A significant proportion of patients do not achieve symptom control with standard treatments. Botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) represents a potential therapeutic option for these patients. Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness and safety of BTX-A in the treatment of chronic rhinitis. Materials and Methods: The literature search included electronic databases such as PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library, as well as clinical trial registries, followed by a thorough examination of the bibliographic references of the studies that addressed the research question. The systematic review included 11 studies evaluating the effectiveness of BTX-A in patients with chronic allergic rhinitis (AR) or non-allergic rhinitis (NAR) compared to placebo or active treatment. Results: Among the 11 eligible studies, a total of 462 patients were identified. Compared to placebo, BTX-A appears to improve the Total Nasal Symptom Score (TNSS) and Individual Nasal Symptom Score (INSS) for at least 12 weeks. Among the individual nasal symptoms, rhinorrhea showed the most significant improvement. In comparison to intranasal steroids (triamcinolone, dexamethasone), BTX-A demonstrated superior reduction in TNSS. However, there was no significant difference in TNSS reduction compared to cetirizine. BTX-A improved the quality of life (QoL) of patients with chronic rhinitis for up to 12 weeks. No significant systemic adverse effects were observed in any of the patients.