Fluticasone propionate is associated with severe infection after endoscopic polypectomy.

OBJECTIVE

To test whether the use of fluticasone dipropionate nasal spray after endoscopic ethmoidectomy for multiple polyps is associated with a high incidence of infection. DESIGN. Randomized control study comparing the incidence of infection with the use of beclomethasone dipropionate or fluticasone propionate nasal spray after functional endoscopic sphenoethmoidectomy. Patients were followed up for 6 to 12 months.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

Sixty patients with recurrent bilateral nasal polyps underwent functional endoscopic sphenoethmoidectomy and were then randomly allocated into 2 groups of 30 patients each. One group received beclomethasone dipropionate spray (100 micrograms in each nostril every 12 hours), and the other group received fluticasone propionate spray (100 micrograms/d in each nostril).

RESULTS

In the fluticasone propionate group, 6 patients (20%) developed acute gram-positive pansinusitis requiring hospitalization and discontinuation of treatment.

CONCLUSION

The use of fluticasone dipropionate aqueous nasal spray for the postoperative control of recurrent nasal polyps seems to be associated with a high incidence of acute pansinusitis.