The aim of this paper is to assess the historical role of radiotherapy in the treatment of sinus infections. This assessment involved a literature-based review of how radiotherapy was used to treat sinus infections in the first half of the 20(th) century. Low doses of x-rays were used with considerable success to treat nearly 3,000 patients of sinus infection in a span of 12 years with these cases being reported in leading medical journals as case studies. The mechanism of x-ray induced reduction of inflammation and increased tissue repair is uncertain but appears to be related to the development of a multifactorial and integrative anti-inflammatory phenotype.
Keywords: dose response; history of medicine; inflammation; radiotherapy; sinusitis; x-rays.