PRACTICA OTO-RHINO-LARYNGOLOGICA
Vol. 98 No. 1 January 2005
Effectiveness of Tranilast and Argon Plasma Coagulation
for the Inferior Turbinate During the Pollen Season
-A Report of 3 Cases of Cedar Pollinosis-
Nao Makino
(Ome Municipal General Hospital)
Hisashi Tokano, Hirofumi Maehara, Hiromi Kanazawa and Ken Kitamura
(Tokyo Medical and Dental University)
Tranilast and argon plasma coagulation of the inferior turbinate (APC+T) was performed in 3 cases of cedar pollinosis during the pollen season in 2002. In all 3 cases, patients had perennial rhinitis that was well controlled by medical treatment but their symptoms became severe during the pollen season. Case 1 was a 23-year-old man, annoyed by uncomfortable nasal symptoms during the cedar pollen season despite using antiallergic medications. Case 2 was a 21-year-old man who had previously undergone APC+T during the pollen season, and wanted to undergo APC+T again. Case 3 was a 15-year-old man who had previously undergone CO2 laser surgery and wanted to undergo APC+T.
Their nasal symptoms were classified into 5 grades according to a consensus report in 2002 on the diagnosis and management of rhinitis. In all 3 cases, the grade of their subjective symptom improved.
Based on these results, we concluded that APC+T is effective for patients with cedar pollinosis even if performed in the middle of pollen season.
Key words : argon plasma coagulation, pollen season, cedar pollinosis