Studies of rhinitis medicamentosa.

Nasal mucous membrane of patients with rhinitis medicamentosa caused by prolonged use of decongestants (privine) was studied by measurement of nasal mucus clearance time and observation of pathological changes under both optical and electron microscopes. It was found that privine destroyed the nasal cilia and mitochondria of epithelial cells, and disturbed their function so that they were damaged and dropped. Pathologically, the nasal epithelia were swollen, the arterioles dilated, and the glands proliferated. Twenty-two patients with rhinitis medicamentosa were treated by topical dexamethasone or triamcinolon in normal saline for 1-2 weeks followed by normal saline as regular nasal drops. Eight patients were treated effectively by oral ATP 20mg tid. The results were evaluated by nasal mucus clearance time measurement and rhinomanometry.