Efficacy and safety of mometasone furoate nasal spray in allergic rhinitis, acute rhinosinusitis and nasal polyposis

Seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis, acute rhinosinusitis and nasal polyposis are inflammatory conditions of the nose and/or sinuses that produce bothersome symptoms and markedly affect patients’ quality of life [1–3]. These diseases frequently coexist, suggesting that each may be a manifestation of an inflammatory process within the continuous airway [3–5]. Clinical treatment guidelines for each of these conditions conclude that research evidence supports treatment with an intranasal corticosteroid [5–9]. One of the most extensively investigated intranasal corticosteroids for inf lammatory diseases of the nose and sinuses is mometasone furoate nasal spray (MFNS). Mometasone furoate is a potent 17-heterocyclic corticosteroid formulated in an aqueous suspension for intranasal use with a metered-dose, manual pump nasal spray (Figure 1) [10]. In vitro testing has shown that mometasone furoate has a high binding affinity for the glucocorticoid receptor and is a potent stimulator of glucocorticoid receptor-mediated gene expression [11]. Owing to its anti-inflammatory properties, MFNS has been proven to be effective for the prophylaxis and treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis [12–16], the treatment of perennial allergic rhinitis [17–19], as an adjunct to antibiotics in the treatment of acute bacterial rhinosinusitis [20,21] or as monotherapy in uncomplicated cases of acute rhinosinusitis [22,23], and the treatment of nasal polyposis [24–27]. The purpose of this review is to summarize the efficacy and safety of MFNS for seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis, acute rhinosinusitis and nasal polyposis.