[Bilateral nasal remission spectroscopy allows the side separated continuous measurement of changes in swelling of the nasal mucosa].
BACKGROUND
In earlier studies optical transmission spectroscopy showed that continuous monitoring of changes in the swelling of the nasal mucosa is possible. However, independent measurement in both sides of the nose cannot be achieved by this method. With the aim of achieving real-time monitoring of endonasal swelling separately for both nostrils we developed the new method of bilateral nasal remission spectroscopy for this pilot study.


METHODS
In nasal remission spectroscopy, light at a wavelength of 790 nm (close to the isobestic point of hemoglobin) is beamed into each side of the nose, and the light that is backscattered by the internal nasal tissue is measured continuously on the same nasal side. To evaluate the principle of this new method a pilot study was conducted in five healthy probands subjected to a one-sided (unilateral) nasal histamine provocation test (0.14 ml, 2 mg/ml).


RESULTS
In each proband single-sided nasal histamine provocation led to an increase in light extinction on the provoked side by an average of 0.18 optical densities (OD). In four of the five probands a slight increase (0.04 OD) in light extinction was observed on the other side of the nose.


CONCLUSIONS
Nasal remission spectroscopy seems to allow single-side, continuous monitoring on both sides of the nose. Therefore, the method could also be suitable for use in studies of the nasal cycle, as well as for objectivisation of nasal allergen provocation tests.
Wüstenberg
E G
EG
Universitäts-HNO-Klinik, Dresden. eike.wuestenberg@uniklinikum-dresden.de
Hampel
U
U
Schleicher
E
E
Hüttenbrink
K-B
KB
Zahnert
T
T
D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D009299:Nasal Provocation Tests / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D041622:Tomography, Optical / Q000379:methods*