A roentgenographic method for measuring nasal mucous velocity.
Nasal mucous velocity was estimated by following the motion of radiopaque discs of Teflon by means of a fluoroscopic image intensifier. From 5 to 10 discs were deposited on the superior surface of the inferior turbinate with a forceps. No local anesthesia was employed and the subjects experienced no discomfort. The linear velocity of the discs was obtained by playing the videotape onto a television monitor, measuring distance with a ruler, and dividing by elapsed time. Duplicate runs of 1-2 min, 15 min apart were very reproducible but runs at 4-h intervals or daily over a 5-day period had a coefficient of variation of 30%. Average nasal velocity for individual ranged from 0 to 22.5 mm/min and group means ranged from 6. 8 to 10.8 mm/min. There was no statistically significant difference in nasal mucous velocity between young and elderly subjects nor was there a sexual difference. The saccharin test of nasal mucous transport was unsatisfactory because of inability to repeat the test more often than 1-2 h and its propensity to produce mild discomfort in a significant number of subjects. Saccharin times did not correlate significantly with values of nasal mucous velocity.
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001692:Biological Transport; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009093:Mucus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D009666:Nose / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene; D011859:Radiography; D012439:Saccharin; D013679:Technology, Radiologic
D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene; D012439:Saccharin