Use of immunotherapy in previously treated patients with allergic fungal sinusitis.

OBJECTIVE: Sixty patients with a diagnosis of allergic fungal sinusitis were studied. The objective was to show whether, after initial surgical removal of allergic mucin and polyps, immunotherapy decreases re-operation rates and office visits that require medical intervention.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Sixty patients with adequate follow-up for at least 1 year were evaluated: 24 patients who did not receive immunotherapy and 36 patients whose treatment included postoperative immunotherapy.

RESULTS: The re-operation rates were 33.0% in those not receiving immunotherapy versus 11.1% in the treated group. Furthermore, the total number of postoperative office visits that required medical therapy decreased from 4.79 per patient to 3.17 with the addition of immunotherapy.

CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: These results indicate that immunotherapy is a beneficial part of the overall treatment regimen for allergic fungal sinusitis.