title: Rhinomanometric detection rate of rhinoscopically-assessed septal deviations.
abstract: Normal values for the flow at a transnasal pressure of 150 Pa were established with active anterior rhinomanometry (with decongestion) in a group of 33 normal subjects. These values were used to detect abnormalities in a group of 193 patients whose septum anatomy had been evaluated with rhinoscopy. About 25% of the rhinoscopically normal patients were found to have significantly low ("abnormal") flow values on one side. The same was true for patients with a small septal deviation restricted to one anatomical area. An abnormal flow was measured in about 35% of the patients with a moderate (restricted) septal deviation. In the patients whose septal deviation was not restricted to one anatomical area, about 45% had an abnormal flow. The highest detection rate was about 80% in patients with major deviations in the region of the vestibule and the valve. Such deviations were found only in a minority of the patients with complaints of nasal obstruction, which limits the importance of rhinomanometric evaluation in clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: E.N.T.-Department, University Hospital Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Huygen
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Klaassen
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: de Leeuw
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Wentges
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000403:Airway Resistance; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008365:Manometry; D008875:Middle Aged; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009300:Nasal Septum / Q000502:physiology*; D011312:Pressure; D012016:Reference Values