title: Assessment of nasal fibroscopy to explore olfactory cleft.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether flexible nasoendoscopy can be used to visualize all parts of the olfactory cleft (OC) without morbidity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Single-center, prospective, observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  French tertiary referral center.
  
  
  METHODS
  100 consecutive patients were divided in 2 groups of 50. Group 1 underwent nasal fibroscopy without vasoconstriction or local anesthesia with an endosheath- protected endoscope. Group 2 was examined by a fiberscope without an endosheath after application of naphazoline Xylocaine. Each OC was divided in 16 items recorded as visualized or not. Four scores were compared between both groups: out of 16 (1 side), out of 32 (both sides), out of 12 concerning only the narrowest and highest bilateral spaces, and out of 4 to divide these specific areas in anterior, middle, and posterior parts. Length of procedure, pain, epistaxis, blood mark on the endosheath, sneezing, rhinorrhea, and causes of failure were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference between both groups concerning score out of 16 or 32. The visibility of the narrower and higher spaces was better in group 2: scores out of 12 were significantly different between the groups (P = .025), as were scores out of 4 for the anterior and middle parts of the OC (P = .02 and .01 respectively). Morbidity was low without differences between the groups. Deviated nasal septum was the only cause of failure and increased the patients' pain during the examination (P = .045).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nasal fibroscopy could be used to explore the different portions of the OC efficiently and with low morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital of Bordeaux, Centre F-X Michelet, place Amélie Raba-Léon, France.
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Porez
authors.forename: Marie Jullien
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: de Pommerol
authors.forename: Peggy
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Krief
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Conso
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stoll
authors.forename: Ludovic
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: de Gabory
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D000772:Anesthesia, Local; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009667:Nose Deformities, Acquired / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009669:Nose Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014934:Wood