Otolaryngology: Open Access
Open Access

Abstract

Smell dysfunction is one of the main symptoms in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Th erapeutic ultrasound (US) is suggested as a novel method for treating the CRS. No study has evaluated the eff ect of therapeutic US in CRS. Th e aim of this study was to demonstrate the eff ects pulsed ultrasound (PUS) in CRS subjects with olfactory dysfunction. Eleven CRS subjects with smell dysfunction (mean age 47.90�±4.6 years; male 7; female 4) participated in a pretest-posttest study design with 2 measurements before and aft er 10 treatment sessions and aft er one month follow up. Participants received pulsed US (1:9), frequency 1 MHz, intensity/duration 1 W/cm2/5 minutes and 0.5 W/cm2/4 minutes for the maxillary and frontal sinuses, respectively. Subjects underwent for 10 treatment sessions, three days a week with US given every other day. Th e outcome measures were the Persian versions of SNOT-20 and University of Pennsylvania Smell Identifi cation Test (UPSIT). Th e repeated measures ANOVA were used for analysis. Th e mean changes of UPSIT scores (11/1 to 19/7) and SNOT-20 scores (41/4 to 19/6) were signifi cantly improved aft er PUS therapy (p<0.001). At one month fallow up, the improvements were sustained. Th e pulsed ultrasound was eff ective in improving smell dysfunction and symptoms severity in this sample of patients with rhinosinusitis.

Biography

Atieh Nazem is currently pursuing MSc in Physical Therapy at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran. She has two published articles to her credit.