Effects of Anatolian Propolis and Hypertonic Saline Combination Nasal Spray on Allergic Rhinitis Symptoms: A Prospective, Multicenter Study.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate how Rhinapi nasal spray affects symptoms of allergic rhinitis. Methods: In this prospective, multicenter, observational study, 10,000 patients (comprising 5028 males and 4972 females) exhibiting symptoms of allergic rhinitis (namely, nasal discharge, sneezing, nasal itching, and nasal obstruction) from different centers in different regions of Turkey were enrolled in the study between March 2022 and March 2023. All the patients wanted to participate in the study and were administered Rhinapi one puff to each nostril three times a day, for a period of 3 weeks. Total symptom scores, quality of life (QoL) scores, and otolaryngological examination scores were evaluated before and 3 weeks after treatment. Results: The scores for discharge from the nose, sneezing, nasal pruritus, and blockage of the nose all indicated improvement when compared to pre-medication and post-medication. This difference achieved statistical significance (P < .001). The mean total symptom score fell following treatment (P < .001): whilst the score was 11.09 ± 3.41 before administering Rhinapi; after administration, the average score was 6.23 ± 2.41. The mean QoL scores also altered after medication (P < .001), improving from a mean value of 6.44 ± 1.55 to a mean of 7.31 ± 1.24. Significant improvement was also noted in the scores for conchal color and degree of edema after the treatment had been administered (P < .001). Conclusion: The study demonstrates that Rhinapi nasal spray decreases total symptom scores, and results in improved QoL and otolaryngological examination scores. Propolis spray may be recommended for patients with allergic rhinitis alongside other treatments.

Vertiginous epilepsy: documentation of clinical and electrophysiological findings of nine patients.

Epileptic vertigo is often a diagnostic problem. We aimed to present the clinical and electrophysiological features of patients with epileptic vertigo with a view to addressing the pathophysiology of this rare aura symptom. Nine epileptic vertigo patients were included in the study. All patients were subjected to neuro-otologic examination, interictal electroencephalogram (EEG), audiogram, cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential testing (cVEMP), video head impulse testing (vHIT) and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Eight patients described their aura as epileptic vertigo and one as dizziness. In three patients, auditory hallucinations preceded epileptic vertigo. The semiology of epileptic vertigo was true vertigo in five patients, vertigo with nausea in two patients and vertigo with hearing loss in one patient. Two patients suffered from focal seizures, and in seven patients the seizures were evaluated as focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures. MRI was normal in all patients. EEG was abnormal in all cases and showed high-voltage spike or spike-slow-wave complexes, or both, located more frequently in the temporal region, more left than right. On vHIT examination, abnormal responses were recorded bilaterally or unilaterally in five patients. Similarly, cVEMP revealed no response bilaterally or unilaterally in five patients. In three patients, the side of no response to cVEMP corresponded to the side of epileptiform pathology based on EEG. Two patients with bilateral abnormalities on EEG showed bilateral abnormalities either on cVEMP or vHIT, or on both. Taken together, these findings support the involvement of the brainstem connections of the peripheral vestibular system in vertiginous epilepsy. The pathological results of vestibular tests in the majority of our patients, combined with the EEG abnormalities, support the hypothesis of system epilepsies which is based on the dysfunction of specific neural systems.