Efficacy of Adjuvant Sublingual Immunotherapy After Septomeatoplasty

Background: The efficacy of adjuvant sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) in correcting structural problems in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) caused by mite who have undergone septomeatoplasty (SMP) has not been studied. Methods: This non-randomized controlled study recruited patients with AR (caused by mite) and concurrent septal deviation and inferior turbinate hypertrophy, at a tertiary hospital in Taiwan. SMP was performed on all patients as a surgical intervention. The patients were then divided into two groups: the control group, which underwent surgery only, and the experimental group, which received SLIT as an adjuvant treatment. Demographic data and rhinitis control assessment test (RCAT) results were analyzed. Results: A total of 96 patients were enrolled in the study (SMP + SLIT group, n = 52; SMP only group, n = 44). No significant differences were observed in any of the variables between the two groups before and one month after surgery. However, during evaluations at the third and sixth month, the SMP + SLIT group showed significant improvement in the total RCAT scores compared to the SMP only group (28.6 +/- 1.56 vs. 24.5 +/- 3.66, p < 0.001; 27.1 +/- 2.87 vs. 19.9 +/- 5.56, p < 0.001). In addition, significantly better control of all RCAT sub-categories was observed in the SMP + SLIT group at the third and sixth month evaluations. Conclusions: SLIT may serve as an ideal adjuvant therapy after SMP in patients with AR.