코물혹(鼻茸)의 비수술적 치료: 한방 적제술을 적용한 단일 증례 보고

Abstract

Abstract Nasal polyps are benign inflammatory growths arising from the mucosa of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, often associated with chronic rhinosinusitis. Conventional management includes corticosteroid therapy and endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS), yet recurrence and postoperative complications remain significant challenges. This case report describes a 57-year-old male patient with bilateral nasal obstruction, purulent rhinorrhea, and hyposmia, who was treated using non-surgical Korean medicine extraction therapy. The treatment protocol consisted of external herbal application, endoscopic extraction of nasal polyps using forceps, acupuncture, and administration of a modified Kakkon-tang (Decoction of Puerariae Radix) combined with Cnidium officinale and Magnoliae Flos. After ten treatment sessions, the nasal polyps were completely removed without recurrence at a three-month follow-up. Nasal obstruction, rhinorrhea, and hyposmia was significantly improved to a normal sense of smell, and endoscopic examination confirmed normalization of the nasal cavity (Mackay and Lund grade 0). These findings suggest that non-surgical extraction therapy based on Korean medicine may offer an effective and less invasive alternative for the management of nasal polyps by physically removing the lesion while controlling inflammation and preventing recurrence. Further clinical studies are warranted to evaluate its reproducibility and therapeutic mechanisms.