Evaluation of the Effect of Cryotherapy (Cryoablation) of Posterior Nasal Nerve on the Treatment of Patients with Rhinitis.

Introduction: Rhinitis is a common condition that is typically treated with medical therapies. However, 10-22% of patients are resistant to these treatments. In our study, the effectiveness of cryotherapy of the posterior nasal nerve (PNN) in treating rhinitis patients who have not responded to conventional medical treatments has been evaluated. Materials and Methods: In this single-group interventional study (before/after), 40 patients with rhinitis referred to the ENT clinic of Baqiyatallah Hospital underwent PNN cryotherapy using a new device called Cryo Nose. To collect data, the Total Nasal Symptom Score (TNSS) questionnaire was administered before the intervention and at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after the intervention. Results: After PNN cryotherapy, the TNSS 12-hour symptom score improved from 9.2 (±2.3) to 6.59 (±2.18) at 1 week later, 3.83 (±1.88) at 1 month later, 2.58 (±1.58) at 3 months later, and 1.98 (±1.47) at 6 months later (P < 0.05). Similar results were noted for the 2-week scores, which improved from 10.38 (±2.53) to 8.35 (±2.32) at 1 week later, 5.95 (±2.09) at 1 month later, 4.27 (±1.61) at 3 months later, and 3.38 (±1.49) at 6 months later (P < 0.05). Conclusions: PNN cryotherapy has been shown to be effective in treating rhinitis during a 6-month follow-up period, with no significant adverse events. The effect of PNN cryotherapy on the symptoms of these patients did not differ between the different types of rhinitis.