2. Interventions.

Study	Surgical treatment	Medical treatment	Comparison description
Alobid 2005	GA endoscopic sinus surgery (variable extent) then topical budesonide 400 µg bd for 1 year	Oral prednisolone for 14 days (30 mg od 4 days then reduced by 5 mg every 2 days) then topical budesonide 400 µg bd for 1 year	Endoscopic sinus surgery versus systemic steroids
Lildholdt 1988	LA polypectomy then topical beclomethasone dipropionate 100 µg bd for 1 year	14 mg im betamethasone then topical beclomethasone dipropionate 100 µg bd for 1 year	Polypectomy versus systemic steroids
Lildholdt 1997	LA snare polypectomy then topical budesonide 400 µg or 800 µg od for 11 months	14mg im betamethasone then topical budesonide 400 µg or 800 µg od for 11 months	Polypectomy versus systemic steroids
Ragab 2004	GA endoscopic sinus surgery (variable extent) then antibiotics for 2 weeks plus topical fluticasone propionate spray 100 µg bd for 12 weeks, then "tailored treatment"	Antibiotics plus topical fluticasone propionate drops 400 µg bd for 12 weeks, then "tailored treatment"	Endoscopic sinus surgery plus topical steroid versus antibiotics plus high‐dose topical steroid

bd: twice daily
 GA: general anaesthesia
 im: intramuscular
 LA: local anaesthesia
 od: once daily