Efficacy of modified highly selective pterygoid canal nerve block by low temperature radiofrequency ablation under nasal endoscopy in patients with moderate to severe chronic rhinitis
Objective:To evaluate the clinical effects of modified highly selective pterygoid canal nerve block by low temperature radiofrequency ablation under nasal endoscopy in patients with moderate to severe chronic rhinitis.Methods:A total of 88 patients who were diagnosed with moderate and severe allergic rhinitis at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Huai'an Hospital, Xuzhou Medical University from January 2017 to January 2019 were selected as the subjects, including 46 males and 43 females, with a mean age of (48.74±1.26) years. The disease course was (6.65±0.64) years. Forty-six patients who received standardized drug treatment were included in a control group, and 42 patients who received modified highly selective pterygoid canal nerve block by low temperature radiofrequency ablation under nasal endoscopy treatment were included in an observation group. The quality of life (QoL) score of rhinoconjunctivitis was evaluated before and after treatment, and the clinical symptom scores and the incidence of complications (dry eyes, dry nose, numbness of palate, and epistaxis) were statistically analyzed.Results:The QoL scores of the study group at 6 months, 1 year, and 3 years after treatment (0.96±0.55, 1.13±052, and 1.26±0.51, respectively) were all lower than those in the control group (1.87±0.46, 1.98±0.61, and 2.01±0.55, respectively) (P<0.05 for all). After treatment, the scores of clinical symptoms of sneezing, runny nose, and nasal swelling in the study group were all significantly lower than those in the control group (1.03±0.24 vs 1.58±0.50, 0.86±0.25 vs 1.33±0.41, and 0.59±0.18 vs 0.88±0.23, respectively; P<0.05 for all). There was no significant difference between the two groups in dry eyes, dry nasal cavity, numbness of the palate, and epistaxis (P>0.05 for all).Conclusion:The clincial effects of modified highly selective pterygoid canal nerve block by low temperature radiofrequency ablation under nasal endoscopy for patients with moderate to severe chronic rhinitis is better than that of drug therapy alone, which can significantly reduce clinical symptoms and improve the quality of life of patients.