[Empty nose syndrome].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this article is to present the concept of empty nose syndrome(ENS) and help ENT doctors take care of regular nasal turbinate surgery.


METHODS
Fourteen patients who was diagnosed as ENS in our department were reviewed retrospectively. All patients had undergone various forms of nasal surgery (all had had turbinectomy). Their age ranged from 13 to 52 years. All patients were treated conservatively, among these patients 5 subjects who had more serious symptoms received submucous and subperiostal nasal implantation with ilium.


RESULTS
All patients had nasal obstruction and dryness of nasal cavity, nasopharynx and oto-pharynx in 6 months--5 years after their first nasal surgery, some presented symptoms of depression. Nasoscope examination showed all patients had a cylindrically enlarged nasal cavity. Conservative treatment was effective in most cases. The effectiveness of operative treatment was encouraging during short-term follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
Extensive turbinectomy may cause secondary nasal mucosal atrophy and a series of subsequent symptoms. The presentation of this concept is to remind the ENT doctors prudently performing turbinectomy to avoid the occurrence of irreversible injury to the nasal cavity.
Wang
Y
Y
Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Third Teaching Hospital, Bethune University of Medical Sciences, Changchun 130031, China. wangyipe@public.cc.jl.cn
Liu
T
T
Qu
Y
Y
Dong
Z
Z
Yang
Z
Z
D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012222:Rhinitis, Atrophic / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D013577:Syndrome; D014420:Turbinates / Q000601:surgery*