Effectiveness of Epipharyngeal Abrasive Therapy on Chronic Epipharyngitis and the Exhaled Nitric Oxide Levels

OBJECTIVE: Considering the possibility that eosinophilic inflammation is involved in the pathogenesis of chronic epipharyngitis, this study determined whether or not the exhaled nitric oxide level of patients changed after epipharyngeal abrasive therapy (EAT). The diagnosis and follow-up of patients with chronic epipharyngitis were based on the endoscopic findings. If the exhaled nitric oxide level reflects the pathology of a patient with chronic epipharyngitis, the exhaled nitric oxide test can be performed for a follow-up examination as an objective test for chronic epipharyngitis. METHODS: The study period was 12 months, starting from February 2020. The age distribution and patients’ median age and gender were retrospectively reviewed using medical records. Exhaled nitric oxide levels were measured before and after endoscopic EAT at the initial examination and before and after blind EAT at the follow-up examination. PATIENTS: Ninety-six new patients were included in this study. RESULTS: The study included 27 men and 69 women [median age (range), 45 (17-82) years old]. When patients with chronic epipharyngitis were treated using EAT, exhaled nitric oxide levels were significantly lower after EAT than before EAT at the initial visit. Six months after EAT, the exhaled nitric oxide level was significantly lower than that at the initial visit. CONCLUSION: During the follow-up examination of patients with chronic epipharyngitis, the exhaled nitric oxide test may be an effective objective test, along with changes in endoscopic findings.