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Volume: 42 - Issue: 2

First page: 68 - Last page: 72

S. Robinson - D. Adams - P.J. Wormald

Statement of problems: To determine whether topical prednisolone affected sinus mucosal
healing in a sheep animal model.
Methods of study: A standardised sheep model with concurrent Oestrus ovus infection was
utilised. Following full thickness nasal mucosal injuries, hyaluronic acid packs soaked with
prednisolone were applied to one side of the nasal cavity, with hyaluronic acid packs without
prednisolone, to the other. At four weekly intervals, for 16 weeks, mucosal biopsies were taken
and analysed for epithelial thickness and length, for cilial height and percentage of ciliated
mucosa and mucosal inflammation.
Results: Eighteen sheep were utilised, with each acting as its own control. At completion of
the study there was no statistical difference between the control or treatment group for the percentage
of mucosal epithelialisation (mean: 86.5% vs 92.2%), epithelial thickness (mean:
39.7 µm vs 39.3 µm or the percentage of epithelium ciliated (mean: 26.5% vs 30.8%).
Furthermore prednisolone had no effect on mucosal inflammation with the control arm mean
score of 3.44 (SD .022) and treatment arm mean of 3.77 (SD 0.21).
Conclusion: Hyaluronic acid nasal packs soaked in prednisolone failed to improve the speed
of mucosal healing or re-ciliation in the sheep model of eosinophilic rhinosinusitis.

Rhinology 42-2: 68-72, 2004