title: The pathology of visible blood vessels on the nasal septum in children with epistaxis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Epistaxis is common in children, but its cause remains unknown. About half the children who present with epistaxis have prominent vessels on the nasal septum. The aim of this study was to determine the pathological nature of the prominent septal vessels in children with recurrent epistaxis.
  
  
  METHODS
  4mm punch biopsies of the nasal septal mucosa were taken from 5 children undergoing nasal cautery under general anaesthesia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Histology showed that the prominent vessels were thin-walled arterioles and capillaries with a surrounding inflammatory infiltrate. There was no evidence of venous varicosities or arterial microaneurysms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We postulate a mechanism for septal neovascularisation due to chronic low-grade inflammation as a cause for recurrent epistaxis in children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Otolaryngology, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill, Glasgow G3 8SJ, Scotland, United Kingdom. mlmontague@btinternet.com
authors.forename: Mary-Louise
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Montague
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Whymark
authors.forename: Allan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Howatson
authors.forename: Haytham
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kubba
mesh_terms: D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004564:Electrocoagulation / Q000379:methods; D004844:Epistaxis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology; D009300:Nasal Septum / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D012008:Recurrence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012494:Sampling Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D006113:United Kingdom