Oral and Nasal Steroids for Nasal Polyps

Introduction: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with nasal polyps is a common form of the disorder with distinct immunopathology and significant impact on the healthrelated quality of life of patients. Several treatment options—depending on the clinical course and severity of the disease—have been recommended, from medical therapy with oral or topical corticosteroids to various methods of surgical management. Short courses of oral steroids have been recommended and used in clinical practice, usually by specialists in patients with severe CRS with nasal polyps and for management of severe exacerbations of the symptoms with which these patients present. Several studies demonstrated that such treatment results in rapid symptomatic improvement and in shrinking of nasal polyps (pharmacologic polypectomy) in most patients. However, the long-term effects of a short course of oral steroid therapy for CRS with nasal polyps have not been studied in randomized controlled trials.