Rhinoscleroma Medication
- Author: Robert A Schwartz, MD, MPH; Chief Editor: Dirk M Elston, MD more...
Medication Summary
The goals of pharmacotherapy are to eradicate the infection, reduce morbidity, and prevent complications.
Antibiotic agents
Class Summary
Tetracycline is the drug of choice. Other antibiotics include ciprofloxacin and rifampin. Bacterial overinfection responds to treatment with clindamycin and third-generation cephalosporins. Sclerotic lesions respond well to treatment with ciprofloxacin. Ciprofloxacin has the following advantages: Its oral administration is convenient, it achieves good tissue penetration, it is concentrated in macrophages, and it may prove useful in the treatment of patients with rhinoscleroma.
Ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
Fluoroquinolone with activity against Pseudomonas species, streptococci, MRSA, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and most gram-negative organisms but no activity against anaerobes. Inhibits bacterial DNA synthesis and, consequently, growth. Continue treatment for at least 2 d (7-14 d typical) after signs and symptoms have disappeared.
Cefixime (Suprax)
Third-generation cephalosporin. Arrests bacterial cell wall synthesis and inhibits bacterial growth by binding to one or more penicillin-binding proteins.
Rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane)
Inhibits DNA-dependent bacteria by binding to beta subunit of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase, blocking RNA transcription.
Clindamycin (Cleocin)
Lincosamide for treatment of serious skin and soft tissue staphylococcal infections. Also effective against aerobic and anaerobic streptococci (except enterococci). Inhibits bacterial growth, possibly by blocking dissociation of peptidyl tRNA from ribosomes and causing arrest of RNA-dependent protein synthesis.
Corticosteroid agents
Class Summary
These agents have anti-inflammatory properties and cause profound and varied metabolic effects. Corticosteroids modify the body's immune response to diverse stimuli.
Prednisone (Deltasone, Meticorten, Orasone)
May decrease inflammation by reversing increased capillary permeability and suppressing PMN activity.
de Pontual L, Ovetchkine P, Rodriguez D, et al. Rhinoscleroma: a French national retrospective study of epidemiological and clinical features. Clin Infect Dis. Dec 1 2008;47(11):1396-402. [Medline].
De Champs C, Vellin JF, Diancourt L, et al. Laryngeal scleroma associated with Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. ozaenae. J Clin Microbiol. Nov 2005;43(11):5811-3. [Medline].
Sanchez-Marin LA, Bross-Soriano D, Arrieta J, et al. Association of HLA-DQA1*03011-DQB1*0301 haplotype with the development of respiratory scleroma. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. Mar 2007;136(3):481-3. [Medline].
Abalkhail A, Satti MB, Uthman MA, Al Hilli F, Darwish A, Satir A. Rhinoscleroma: a clinicopathological study from the Gulf region. Singapore Med J. Feb 2007;48(2):148-51. [Medline].
Azevedo-Bernarda R. Rhinoscleroma. Cent Afr J Med. Nov 1971;17(11):225-8. [Medline].
Chan TV, Spiegel JH. Klebsiella rhinoscleromatis of the membranous nasal septum. J Laryngol Otol. Oct 2007;121(10):998-1002. [Medline].
Navazo Eguia AI, Garcia Vicario F. [Rhinoscleroma]. Acta Otorrinolaringol Esp. Mar-Apr 2010;61(2):160-2. [Medline].
Salima K, Samia S, Mounir T, Fethi J, et al. [Rhinoscleroma: a report of 2 cases]. Tunis Med. Sep 2005;83(9):568-71. [Medline].
Botelho-Nevers E, Gouriet F, Lepidi H, et al. Chronic nasal infection caused by Klebsiella rhinoscleromatis or Klebsiella ozaenae: two forgotten infectious diseases. Int J Infect Dis. Sep 2007;11(5):423-9. [Medline].
Tan SL, Neoh CY, Tan HH. Rhinoscleroma: a case series. Singapore Med J. Feb 2012;53(2):e24-7. [Medline].
Ammar ME, Rosen A. Rhinoscleroma mimicking nasal polyposis. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. Mar 2001;110(3):290-2. [Medline].
Batsakis JG, el-Naggar AK. Rhinoscleroma and rhinosporidiosis. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. Oct 1992;101(10):879-82. [Medline].
Fuchs HA, Tanner SB. Granulomatous disorders of the nose and paranasal sinuses. Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. Feb 2009;17(1):23-7. [Medline].
Ingegnoli A, Corsi A, Verardo E, De Filippo M, Sverzellati N, Zompatori M. Uncommon causes of tracheobronchial stenosis and wall thickening: MDCT imaging. Radiol Med. Dec 2007;112(8):1132-41. [Medline].
Sood N, Sood S, Arora S. Cytohistological features of rhinoscleroma. Indian J Pathol Microbiol. Oct-Dec 2011;54(4):806-8. [Medline].
Maru YK, Munjal S, Gupta Y. Brush cytology and its comparison with histopathological examination in cases of diseases of the nose. J Laryngol Otol. Nov 1999;113(11):983-7. [Medline].
Soni NK. Scleroma of the lower respiratory tract: a bronchoscopic study. J Laryngol Otol. Jun 1994;108(6):484-5. [Medline].
Zhong Q, Guo W, Chen X, et al. Rhinoscleroma: a retrospective study of pathologic and clinical features. J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. Apr 2011;40(2):167-74. [Medline].
Sun Y, Sun W, Lu X. [Clinical analysis of 19 cases of scleroma respiratorium treated surgically]. Lin Chuang Er Bi Yan Hou Ke Za Zhi. Jul 1998;12(7):314-6. [Medline].
Divatia JV, Upadhye SM, Sareen R. Fibreoptic intubation in cicatricial membranes of the pharynx. Anaesthesia. Jun 1992;47(6):486-9. [Medline].
Al Jahdali H, Bamefleh H, Memish Z, Al-Zuwayed M, Al Othman A. Upper airway obstruction due to rhinoscleroma: case report. J Chemother. Apr 2001;13 Suppl 1:69-72. [Medline].
Busch RF. Rhinoscleroma occurring with airway obstruction. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. Nov 1993;109(5):933-6. [Medline].
Munoz-Saavedra D, Olavarria-Leiva C. [Laryngeal stenosis as late manifestation of rhinoscleroma. Case report]. Acta Otorrinolaringol Esp. May-Jun 2010;61(3):241-3. [Medline].
Gaafar HA, Gaafar AH, Nour YA. Rhinoscleroma: An updated experience through the last 10 years. Acta Otolaryngol. Apr 2011;131(4):440-6. [Medline].

