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Abstract: A total of 56 patients with perennial allergic rhinitis were treated in a 2-week randomized, double-blind, doubledummy study comparing azelastine nasal spray (0,14 mg/ nostril twice daily) and loratadine tablets (10 mg once daily). Symptoms evaluated were sneezing, nasal itching, rhinorrhoea, nasal mucosa edema, nasal obstruction, cough, smell alterations, eye itching, conjunctive redness, lachrymation, photophobia, pharingeal mucosa redness and throat prurithus. These rhinitis symptoms were evaluated according to a four-point scale (0 = absent, 1 = mild, 2 = moderate, 3 = severe) at baseline prior to treatment and at weeks 1 and 2 by the physician. Sneezing, nasal obstruction, nasal itching and rhinorrhea were evaluated daily by the patient according to the same scale. At weeks 1 and 2 a global assessment of the terapeutic response and tolerability were done by the patients and the physician. Compared to baseline, each symptom score for both the azelastine and loratadine treatment groups were significantly reduced at each of the assessments during treatment. Excluding rhinorrhea, whose improvement was significantly better in the azelastine group, no significant diferences were observed between the two treatment groups. In conclusion, azelastine has been shovun to be as effective as loratadine in the relief of the symptoms of perennial allergic rhinitis.
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