Comparing Airway Analysis in Two-Time Points after Rapid Palatal Expansion: A CBCT Study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to investigate the upper airway analysis at two-time points after the rapid maxillary expansion was performed, using cone-beam computed tomography. METHODS: Subjects from the Orthodontic Department at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki with unilateral or bilateral posterior crossbite were screened according to the selection criteria. A sample size calculation was performed, and a total of 14 subjects were recruited. All subjects received a rapid maxillary expansion with a Hyrax-type device as part of their comprehensive treatment. A CBCT was taken before the treatment (T1), immediately after the expansion was completed (T2), and 6 months after (T3). Their upper airway was measured using the CBCT images. Airway volume (V) and minimal cross-sectional area (MCS) were extracted and compared using SPSS to analyze the means. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was found between all time points regarding both V and MCS (p < 0.001, p = 0.001). There was a statistically significant increase in both V and MCS measurements immediately after RPE expansion (T1-T2) and six months after expansion (T1-T3). Between the end of expansion and 6 months after (T2-T3), there was a decrease in V and no statistical difference in MCS. CONCLUSIONS: RPE can significantly increase the volume and minimal cross-sectional area of the nasal passage airway.

Long-term effects of mini-screw-assisted rapid palatal expansion on airway.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the long-term effects on airway in patients with mini-screw-assisted rapid palatal expansion (MARPE), rapid palatal expansion (RPE), and controls with three-dimensional cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 180 CBCTs of 60 patients were analyzed at different time points, such as pretreatment, postexpansion, and posttreatment. Patients were divided into three groups: mini-screw assisted rapid palatal expansion (MARPE), rapid palatal expansion (RPE), and controls. The nasal cavity, nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal, and laryngopharyngeal airway volume and area were measured. Changes in total airway volume, total airway area, minimal cross-sectional area, maxillary intermolar width, external maxillary width, and palatal width were also evaluated. RESULTS: Both MARPE and RPE caused a statistically significant increase in the airway after expansion as compared with the control group, but there was no statistically significant difference in the change in airway between MARPE, RPE, and the control group at posttreatment, except for nasopharyngeal volume, which was significantly increased in the MARPE group. There was no correlation between the amount of expansion and increase in total airway volume. CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant increase in total airway volume, total airway area, and minimal cross-sectional area with MARPE and RPE immediately after expansion, but at posttreatment, the changes in the MARPE and RPE groups were similar to the change in the control group. However, MARPE led to a significant long-term increase in nasopharyngeal volume. The amount of expansion did not correlate with the increase in pharyngeal airway volume.

A proof-of-concept study of the effect of a novel H3-receptor antagonist in allergen-induced nasal congestion.

BACKGROUND: H1-receptor inverse agonists are used effectively for treating several symptoms of allergic rhinitis, including nasal itching, rhinorrhea, and sneezing, although most agents are not very effective in treating nasal congestion. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the relative efficacy of a novel selective H3-receptor antagonist, JNJ-39220675, in preventing nasal congestion induced by exposing participants with ragweed allergy to ragweed allergen in an environmental exposure chamber model. METHODS: In this single-dose, patient-blind, double-dummy, placebo- and active-controlled, phase IIa cross-over study, 53 participants were randomized to JNJ-39220675 plus placebo, placebo plus pseudoephedrine, or only placebo. The primary efficacy assessment was change in nasal patency assessed by measuring the minimal cross-sectional area of the nasal cavity by using acoustic rhinometry. Secondary assessment included total nasal symptom scores (TNSSs) over the 8-hour environmental exposure chamber exposure period. RESULTS: Smaller decreases in minimal cross-sectional area were observed after JNJ-39220675 (least square mean difference, -0.126; P = .06) and pseudoephedrine (least square mean difference, -0.195; P = .004) treatment compared with placebo. The means for the baseline-adjusted area under the curve of TNSSs were significantly smaller for JNJ-39220675 (P = .0003) and pseudoephedrine (P = .04) versus placebo. JNJ-39220675 was significantly effective in treating all 4 individual symptoms (P ≤ .05 for all scores) compared with placebo, whereas pseudoephedrine only showed a trend for improvement in individual symptom scores of the TNSS. Insomnia was the most frequent adverse event (17.3%) associated with JNJ-39220675 treatment. CONCLUSION: Prophylactic treatment with the H3-antagonist JNJ-39220675 relieved allergen-induced nasal congestion by using standard nasal symptom scoring; however, in contrast to pseudoephedrine, it only showed a trend for increasing nasal patency by using objective measures.