Coblation cryptolysis method effective in treatment of tonsil caseum-induced halitosis, Study says

The study is published in the American Journal of Otolaryngology.

Halitosis, is a social problem affecting many patients seeking help from clinicians. Tonsil stones can cause halitosis and especially occur in crypts of palatine tonsils. Coblation cryptolysis is an alternative method for tonsil caseum treatment.

The coblation technology includes passing a radiofrequency bipolar electrical current through a medium of normal saline which results in the production of a plasma field of sodium ions.

Hence, Ömer Erdur and colleagues from the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Selcuk University, Faculty of Medicine, Konya, Turkey conducted the present study with the aim to investigate the effectiveness of coblator cryptolysis treatment method in chronic caseous tonsillitis-induced halitosis.

The authors included a total of 28 patients in the study, all of whom underwent coblator cryptolysis surgery for halitosis due to chronic caseous tonsillitis. The efficacy of treatment and the presence of caseoma were evaluated with the Finkelstein test, organoleptic test and VAS before the procedure and at the 6th month control after the treatment was completed.

The following key findings were listed-

2. At the 6th month follow-up after the procedure (a single coblation cryptolysis) 23 of the patients (82.1%) had no caseum.
3. There was a statistically significant change in Finkelstein measurements before and after the procedure (p < 0.001).
4. Organoleptic measurements demonstrated that 21 patients had no halitosis postoperatively and the mean organoleptic test score was calculated as 0.39 ± 0.79 after the procedure.
5. The recovery was statistically significant (p < 0.001).
6. The mean VAS score before coblation cryptolysis was 8.0 ± 1.33 (range 5–10).
7. On the other hand 6 months after a single coblation cryptolysis session, the mean VAS score was 1.25 ± 1.78 (range: 0–6).
8. This difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001).

Therefore, the authors concluded that "coblation crptolysis is an effective, safe, minimally invasive and practical alternative method in treatment of halitosis due to tonsil caseums and that the procedure did not lead to any complications after."