Impairment of nasal mucociliary clearance after radiotherapy for childhood head cancer

Background Radiotherapy of the head region in children is known to cause long-term sequelae, such as facial, dental, and ocular abnormalities. We investigated whether a decreased nasal mucociliary function occurs after radiotherapy of the head in children. Methods A saccharin/charcoal test was performed in 20 children treated with radiotherapy of the head and in 20 controls, age-matched and gender-matched. Results We found a decreased nasal mucociliary clearance (lower percentage of responses (p = 0083) and longer mucociliary transport times (p = .0001) in the patients compared with the controls. The radiotherapy dosage influenced the response to the test (p = .0046). Conclusions Irradiation of the head in children may cause impairment of mucociliary function, even permanently, which may predispose children to upper respiratory infections. We would suggest careful monitoring of such patients to detect as early as possible the clinical effects of the functional changes and to prevent the evolution to chronic diseases. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Head Neck 23: 461–466, 2001