Oral Steroids for Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps

Medical management of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps typically consists of treatment with intranasal corticosteroids; data to support the use of oral steroids is limited. In a Scottish study, 60 patients with chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyps were randomized to 2 weeks of daily oral prednisolone (25 mg) or placebo, followed (in both groups) by intranasal steroids for 26 weeks.

At the 2-week completion of oral steroids or placebo, the oral-steroid group experienced a significant reduction in polyp size and improved sense of smell relative to the placebo group. However, at the study's end, no significant differences remained across arms of the study.