Radio-Tympano-Sinu-Orthesis as a Treatment Option in Chronic Otitis Media and Paranasal Mucositis

Intracavitary treatment of patients with chronic otitis media or sinusitis by application of 186Re-colloids into the middle ear or the paranasal sinuses, called RTSO, is effective and well tolerated. Clinical improvement is supported by objective data from audiometry, endoscopy, and CT. The method of local irradiation of an inflamed mucosa by β-emitting radionuclides can thus be extended from RSO to otherwise therapy-resistant patients with chronic otitis media and paranasal sinusitis. Compared with other intracavitary treatments, such as irradiation of intracranial cystic tumors, RTSO exerts much less radiation load and does not show any severe side effects. RTSO may overcome the disadvantages of insufficient radiation dose and high invasiveness as seen in former treatment methods using simple X-ray therapy or different applicator tubes.