Atrophic rhinitis is a debilitating disease of the nasal mucous membrane characterized by progressive atrophy of the nasal mucosa, nasal crusting, fetor and widening of the nasal space with paradoxical nasal congestion. Atrophic rhinitis can be primary or secondary. The cause of primary atrophic rhinitis remains unknown but different publications have related it to hereditary factors, immunological alterations, and viral infections. Secondary atrophic rhinitis resulting from trauma, injudicious surgery, granulomatous diseases, infection, and radiation exposure, accounts for the majority of cases encountered by the rhinologist today. Excessive turbinate surgery has been both acquitted and accused in the literature as an etiology of secondary atrophic rhinitis. The goal of this prospective study was to evaluate a new treatment for atrophic rhinitis that leads to almost complete disappearance of the disease. Six patients were diagnosed with atrophic rhinitis between 2010 and 2013; out of these, four had secondary atrophic rhinitis after excessive turbinate surgery, and two were diagnosed with atrophic ozena. Four patients were male (66%), and the average age was 28 years. All patients underwent clinical examination and nasal endoscopy. All six patients were treated twice with MetracrillT (polymethacrylate) injections in the atrophic turbinates. All patients were evaluated 15, 30, and 60 days after the procedure with nasal endoscopy. All patients had an improvement of typical symptoms such as nasal obstruction, crusting, and fetor. One patient needed a third injection to bring symptoms under control. Polymethacrylate injections are good for the treatment for atrophic rhinitis.
