Congenital choanal atresia. Etiology, morphology and diagnosis in 82 cases.
A follow-up study on 82 patients with congenital choanal atresia revealed that the malformation was twice as common in females as in males and occurred on the right side only in 56% of the cases. The family histories, however, revealed no obvious hereditary trend, and a chromosome analysis showed no abnormalities. Additional malformations were observed in 49% of the patients, but with no constant pattern substantiating a syndrome. The findings of the present study indicate that the atresia may result from a persisting bucconasal membrane. In about 50% of the patients the nasal cavity was funnel-shaped with a posterior narrow end, but the height of the palatal vault did not differ from the normal. The frequency of otitis media and sinusitis was high, 31% and 21% respectively.
D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000002:abnormalities*; D012737:Sex Factors