The nasal mucosa of children with nocturnal enuresis before and after treatment with 1-deamino 8-D-arginine vasopressin spray

Intranasal administration of 1-deamino 8-D-arginine vasopressin (DDVAP) use d for treatment of nocturnal enuresis (NE), might be expected to have vario us effects on the nasal mucosa, e.g. altering the clearance by the mucocili ary apparatus. We evaluated two samples (brushes) of epithelial surface cel ls from the nasal mucosa, one from each nostril, of 18 children (ten males and eight females) with a mean age of 7.7 years (range: 5-13 years) who wer e affected by primary NE. Samples were taken before and 1 and 6 months afte r administration of DDVAP spray. No qualitative changes in the epithelial s urface cells from nasal mucosa were recognized and only non-statistically s ignificant increases in percentages of goblet, ciliated, basal and unciliat ed cells at 1 and 6 months after therapy were observed. Thus, it appears th at DDVAP spray can be used For at least 6 months in children without appare nt risk of damage to the epithelial surface cells from the nasal mucosa. (C ) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.