Abstract
Objectives
Nasal polyps (NPs) are characterized by high recurrence rates despite medical and\or surgical treatment. Recently, it has been shown that exposure of NPs to ultraviolet light (UV) results in induction of apoptosis of inflammatory cells. Therefore phototherapy may represent a new therapeutic approach in NPs. A pilot feasibility study was performed to assess the clinical efficacy and tolerability of phototherapy and to identify the clinical effective UV dose range in NPs.
Methods
A dose-titration study was conducted in 13 subjects with bilateral grade 1–3 NPs. Patients were exposed to gradually increasing doses of UV light over a 12-week period (3 exposures/week). Subjects rated their nasal obstruction symptom scores weekly on a visual analogue scale from 0 to 6. The NOSE quality of life questionnaire was used at baseline and end of treatment period. Adverse events were monitored by endoscopy.
Results
10 subjects completed the study. Nasal obstruction symptom scores improved at end of treatment compared to baseline. Improvement of quality of life (NOSE) at end of treatment compared to baseline was also noted. Treatments were well tolerated and no device-related adverse events were reported. In most subjects, symptom improvement was observed after a certain threshold UV dose was reached. Therefore, the study was also informative about the clinically effective doses which will be tested in future studies of much shorter duration.
Conclusions
The results suggest that phototherapy may represent a potential new treatment option in NPs.
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