A 4-week, double-blind, parallel group study compared the safety and efficacy of once-a-day
intranasal administration of
triamcinolone acetonide (Nasacort) versus placebo in 304 patients (155 adult and 149 adolescent) with
seasonal allergic rhinitis. Patients were randomized to receive
triamcinolone acetonide (110, 220, or 440 microgram) or placebo once daily each morning. Daily
rhinitis symptoms scores, weekly patient and physician global assessments, and weekly nasal eosinophil smears were obtained. In each
triamcinolone acetonide group, significant (P less than .05) improvement over placebo was noted in the nasal index (sum of ratings for stuffiness, discharge, and
sneezing) by week 1, the first point of analysis, and maintained throughout the study.
Triamcinolone acetonide groups also demonstrated significant (P less than .05) improvement over placebo in all individual
rhinitis symptoms evaluated. The greatest improvement in symptoms was observed at the 440 microgram dose. A significant decrease in eosinophil counts paralleled clinical improvement in all
triamcinolone acetonide groups. Physicians and patients rated
triamcinolone acetonide significantly (P less than .05) more effective than placebo. Responses of adult and adolescent patients were comparable. Adverse experiences, clinical laboratory values, and results of physical examinations were unremarkable and comparable between the
triamcinolone acetonide and placebo groups. We conclude that
triamcinolone acetonide is safe, well tolerated, and superior to placebo as a once-a-day treatment for
seasonal allergic rhinitis.