title: Choanal atresia: long-term follow-up with objective evaluation of nasal airway and olfaction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine the status of nasal airway and olfaction of adult subjects born with choanal atresia (CA).
  
  
  METHODS
  A case-control study was conducted to compare the quality of nasal airway and olfaction in a group of adults born with CA to a similar group of normal subjects. Objective evaluation of nasal airway and olfaction were done respectively by acoustic rhinometry and the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-six choanal atresia patients aged 16 to 36 were found in the medical records. Five bilateral and two unilateral cases were recruited for the study. An average score of 27/40 (moderate hyposmia) was obtained by the bilateral cases compared with 37/40 (normal) by the controls. These results were statistically significant (Wilcoxon signed rank test and sign test statistic, P = 0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using the UPSIT, the bilateral CA patients have shown, on average, a moderate loss of the sense of smell when compared with normal controls of a similar age group. Acoustic rhinometry is not a useful study for posterior nasal conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada. jeleclerc@ccapcable.com
authors.forename: Jacques E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Leclerc
authors.forename: Jean Thomas
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Leclerc
authors.forename: Karine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bernier
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002754:Choanal Atresia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D023842:Rhinometry, Acoustic / Q000379:methods; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors