Patients with chronic rhinitis can benefit from botulinum toxin type A injection (BTX-A). It was found to be well-tolerated, safe, and effective in patients who had difficulty in managing their condition with the help of existing treatment options.

A systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the safety and efficacy of BTX-A in individuals  suffering from chronic rhinitis.

Databases such as MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Scopus were explored for the relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the efficacy of BTX-A in people having allergic rhinitis and/or non-allergic rhinitis, compared with placebo or active therapy. The adverse effects, total nasal symptom (TNSS), and disease-specific quality of life (QOL) were noted.

Nine RCTs comprising 340 patients fulfilled the eligibility criteria. The ≤ 12-week effects supported BTX-A injection as per the TNSS compared with placebo. Favorable effects of more than 12 weeks over placebo were exhibited up to 24 weeks. No difference in less than 12 week effect was found between groups on TNSS compared with active comparators (cetirizine, triamcinolone injection, and ipratropium bromide).

The 12-week consequences on TNSS and nasal symptoms supported the use of BTX-A injection over triamcinolone (1 trail). The relative ratio of adverse events encouraged the use of BTX-A over cetirizine (1 trial).

The use of BTX-A injection enhanced the TNSS and QOL in cases of chronic rhinitis over a period of 24 weeks.