[The influence of radiofrequency thermal ablation on the clinical course of hypertrophic rhinitis and histomorphology of the inferior turbinated bones].

The objective of the present work was to study the influence of radiofrequency thermal ablation (RFTA) of the inferior turbinated bones on the main functions of the nasal cavity in the patients suffering hypertrophic rhinitis. The secondary objective was to elucidate the histomorphological features of the inferior turbinated bones. A total of 40 patients presenting with nasal breathing disorders associated with the inferior turbinated bone hypertrophy were available for the examination. This work was supplemented by an experimental study with the use of rabbit the inferior turbinated bones. The influence of radiofrequency thermal energy on the hypertrophic the inferior turbinated bones was estimated based on dynamics of clinical symptoms and functional state of the nasal cavity before and after its application. The patients' complaints and the results of the objective evaluation were analysed and compared with the help of the visual-analog scale (VAS) before and 1-8 weeks after RFTA. The study has demonstrated that the size of the inferior turbinated bones and the severity of nasal obstruction significantly decreased within 28 days after RFTA whereas the patients' complaints of nasal stiffness and difficulty of nasal breathing totally disappeared. The inferior turbinated bones of the rabbits underwent a marked reduction of density and cilia growth in conjunction with the thickening of the basal membrane and the onset of subepithelial fibrosis within 7 days after RFTA. The structure of basal membrane was virtually normalized within 28 days after RFTA simultaneously with a rise in the number of cilia and the enhancement of their growth. It is concluded that the results of clinical and experimental studies give reason to consider RFTA as an effective method for the treatment of nasal stiffness caused by hypertrophy of the inferior turbinated bones. RFTA induces subepithelial fibrosis and thereby promotes the decrease of the inferior turbinated bone volume in the absence of persistent damage to the surface epithelium and basal membrane.