Macrolide therapy for chronic rhinosinusitis: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to systematically review patient-reported outcomes of long-term macrolide therapy, compared with any other treatment, for adults with chronic rhinosinusitis. DATA SOURCES: EMBASE and PubMed databases were searched in October 2011. REVIEW METHODS: A total of 1216 citations were screened initially by a single author, 23 full-text manuscripts were evaluated by 2 authors using structured data abstraction forms to assess for inclusion criteria and study quality, and 3 studies were included in the final review. RESULTS: This review finds that 3 prospective clinical studies have evaluated the effect of macrolide therapy for chronic rhinosinusitis. Based on the limited data, there is limited scientific evidence to support the use of long-term macrolide therapy for chronic rhinosinusitis. CONCLUSION: Further clinical research is needed to determine whether there may be a subgroup effect based on the underlying inflammatory disease process.