Efficacy of long-term low-dose macrolide therapy in preventing early recurrence of nasal polyps after endoscopic sinus surgery.

BACKGROUND: This study assessed efficacy of clarithromycin "long-term" macrolide therapy as an adjunct to maintenance therapy with nasal corticosteroids to prevent recurrence of nasal polyps (NP) after functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS).

METHODS: A total of 66 patients with chronic rhinosinusitis and bilateral NP were randomized into 3 study arms, 22 patients in each arm. After FESS, patients in the first and second groups were treated with clarithromycin 250 mg/day for 12 and 24 weeks, respectively, whereas patients in the third group did not receive any clarithromycin. Patients in all 3 groups received maintenance therapy with mometasone furoate 400 μg/day. Patient assessment was conducted before the surgery and 6, 12, and 24 weeks after surgery, using a visual analogue scale (VAS), 20-item SinoNasal Outcome Test (SNOT-20), acoustic rhinometry, rhinomanometry, saccharin transit time, nasal endoscopy, computed tomography (CT) of paranasal sinuses, and measurement of the level of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in their nasal secretions.

RESULTS: The study confirmed efficacy of "long-term" macrolide therapy, resulting in significant improvement of all parameters except acoustic rhinometry and VAS in both clarithromycin groups as compared to the control. Concentration of ECP in the nasal secretions increased dramatically after surgery, then returned to baseline levels after 12 and 24 weeks of treatment with clarithromycin. In the control group, ECP level continued to increase and was significantly higher at the endpoint. Both groups with clarithromycin showed significantly better endoscopic and CT scores than the control group at the end point.

CONCLUSION: "Long-term" low-dose clarithromycin 250 mg/day is able to control eosinophilic inflammation and prevent early relapse of NP after FESS.