title: Epistaxis: some aspects of laterality in 326 patients.
abstract: Lateralization of primary epistaxis was prospectively studied in 326 patients at Radebeul Elblandklinikum. The male-female-ratio was 1.3:1. A slight dominance of the right side (45% right vs. 39% left) was found in all patients. Further analyzed were the relationship to the localization of bleeding (anterior or posterior), the age and possible causes or risk factors. Nose bleeding from the posterior nasal portion appears to be statistically significantly higher than on both sides of anterior epistaxis. No statistically significant age dependence of laterality of epistaxis was observed in the age groups which we selected. However, nosebleed appears more frequently in women under the age of 50 years in both nostrils. With identified risk factors, idiopathic epistaxis occurs more frequently on the right side than does nosebleed. Mechanical trauma (intranasal sprays or nose picking) is a possible factor explaining the dominance of epistaxis on the right side, especially in idiopathic cases.
authors: Department of Ear, Nose and Throat, Elblandklinikum Radebeul, Heinrich-Zille-Str. 13, 01445, Radebeul, Germany. michael.reiss@elblandkliniken.de
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Reiss
authors: Gilfe
authors: G
authors: Reiss
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D004844:Epistaxis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult