Endonasal geometry changes in elderly people: acoustic rhinometry measurements.
BACKGROUND
Skeletal nasal changes in elderly people have been extensively investigated, but data on variation of the endonasal architecture with age do not exist. We evaluated endonasal parameters in an elderly population as compared with those in a young group.


METHODS
Acoustic rhinometry measurements were performed on 165 participants in the age range of 20-93 years. The rhinograms provided the endonasal volume from the nostril entrance to a 7.0 cm cephalic point (V0-7) and the minimal cross-sectional areas (MCA1 and MCA2). Statistical analysis was performed by Pearson correlation and one-way analysis of variance, using age as a continuous or categorical variable.


RESULTS
There was no statistical difference in gender distribution within each age group. The results obtained for the left and right nostrils were similar. Endonasal volume V0-7 and the narrowing areas MCA1 and MCA2 significantly increase with age, except for men over 80 years in which a relative decrease was observed.


CONCLUSIONS
Acoustic rhinometry examination of the endonasal architecture in a healthy young and elderly population demonstrated a gradual increase of endonasal volumes and minimal cross-sectional areas with age.
Kalmovich
Limor Muallem
LM
Department of Otolaryngology, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Zeriffin, 70300, Israel. Limorm@barak-online.net
Elad
David
D
Zaretsky
Uri
U
Adunsky
Abraham
A
Chetrit
Angela
A
Sadetzki
Siegal
S
Segal
Samuel
S
Wolf
Michael
M
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011336:Probability; D023842:Rhinometry, Acoustic / Q000379:methods*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity