Treatment of perennial allergic rhinitis by local hyperthermia.

Ninety-five patients with documented perennial allergic rhinitis have been treated with local hyperthermia of the nasal passages in a randomized double-blind trial. The treatment consisted of one series of three 30-min insufflations of humidified air at 43 degrees C at a 2-hr interval. In the active treatment group, 75% (P less than 0.00003) and 68% (P less than 0.00001) of the patients were free of symptoms 1 week and 1 month, respectively, after treatment, compared with a 28% and 17% response in the placebo group. We conclude that local hyperthermia is effective in the treatment of perennial allergic rhinitis.