Posterior Nasal Nerve Procedural Outcomes: Does the Presence of Allergy Matter?

Abstract Purpose of Review To summarize posterior nasal nerve (PNN) ablation procedures and whether the etiology of rhinitis—allergic (AR) vs. non-allergic (NAR)—modifies post-procedural outcomes of symptoms and quality of life improvements. Recent Findings Three main procedures are used to target the PNN in patients with chronic rhinitis: cryoablation, radiofrequency ablation, and posterior nasal nerve neurectomy. Patients with chronic rhinitis have improvement in their symptoms with all three. When these results were analyzed by allergy status, most studies found no significant difference in the magnitude of benefit between the subgroups. Two systematic reviews found that individuals with NAR have greater symptomatic improvement at 12 months than those with AR. Summary Both AR and NAR patients received benefit in symptom control after PNN ablation procedures, with possibly more benefit in NAR patients in the longer-term. Further studies with adequate power and standardized diagnostic criteria are needed to confirm these findings.