Do turbinate reduction procedures restore epithelial integrity in patients with turbinate hypertrophy secondary to allergic rhinitis? A histopathological study.

Purpose: Consensus has not been reached regarding the optimal reduction procedure for inferior turbinate hypertrophy in allergic rhinitis and whether such procedures result in improvement in mucosal architecture.

Methods: Twenty-nine patients aged 18-45 years (mean 26.8 years), with allergic rhinitis and inferior turbinate hypertrophy not responsive to medical therapy who underwent endoscopic submucosal diathermy (ESMD) (14 patients) or endoscopic submucosal resection (ESMR) (15 patients) with intraoperative and 3-6 months postoperative inferior turbinate biopsies, were included in the study. Epithelial and mucosal architecture was compared between the two groups.

Results: Both groups showed a significant decrease in epithelial denudation (p < 0.001), reversal of basement membrane thickening (p < 0.001) and increase in density of cilia (p < 0.001). The degree of improvement in histological characteristics between ESMD and ESMR groups was not significant.

Conclusions: Surgical intervention for inferior turbinate hypertrophy by both ESMD and ESMR results in significant restoration of nasal mucosal epithelium in patients with allergic rhinitis as early as 3-month postoperatively. There was, however, no significant difference in the histological changes between those who underwent ESMD and ESMR.

Clinical Trials Of India, Registry Number: CTRI/2015/01/005373.