Fourty patients with chronic primary atrophic rhinitis underwent silastic implantation opera¬tions via two routes (10 patients via intranasal approach and 30 patients via sublabial ap¬proach) . These patients were followed up for 6 to 12 months post operatively.
Four patients out of 10 cases in whom intranasal approach was used (40%), Showed rejec¬tion of the silastic within the first 3 months while 3 cases out of 30 cases (10%) in whom sublabial route was used, Showed early or late implant extrusion . In 27 cases the implant was retained .
From the patients who retained their implant (33 patients) only 30 could bo followed for one year and 21 of them Showed moderate Improvement with disappearance of the symp¬toms except anosmia. There was marked improvement of the nasal mucosa which appeared mor or less normal, This clinical improvement was reflected in the histopathological pic¬ture. The nasal mucosa got thicker, and more vascular. In the remaining patients no apprevi-able improvement was noticed .