[Clinical observation on relation between nasal mucosa contact point and headache].
OBJECTIVE
To verify the correlation between nasal contact point and headache and to discuss the significance of nasal endoscopic surgery through observation of clinical outcomes in patients with nasal mucosa contact point treated by endoscopic surgery.


METHODS
Forty-five patients diagnosed as nasal mucosa contact headache were treated by nasal endoscopic surgery. The results were analyzed retrospectively, including headache degree, headache frequency, lasting time and total time between before and 6, 18, and 24 months after operation. The data were processed by rank-sum test by SPSS 18.0 software.


RESULTS
6, 18 and 24 months after operation, the headache degree (VAS scores were 1.50 [0; 4.00], 2.00 [0; 5.00], 3.25 [0; 5.75], respectively) was relieved (VAS score was 6.00 [5.25; 8.25] before operation) dramatically (Z value were -4.913, -4.070 and -3.095, respectively, all P < 0.01). The total time of headache 6, 18, 24 months after operation (It were 0.07 [0; 3.50], 0.26 [0; 7.77], 1.04[0; 17.15] h, respectively) was shortened (It was 25.20 [4.00; 186.00] h before operation) significantly (Z value were -4.368, -3.652, -2.500, respectively, all P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
One of the key causes of patients suffered from intractable headaches is mucosal contact in the nasal cavity. The pain in these patients could be relieved through surgical correction of intranasal anatomic abnormalities. Nasal mucosa contact might not be the only etiology of intractable headache since the mechanism of headache is complicated and variable. The effect of endoscopic surgery needs to be estimated by long-term follow-up.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100038, China.
Jia
J
WANG
Jin-shu
JS
YIN
Jian-dong
JD
LI
Lei
L
YANG
Yong-li
YL
DUAN
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014420:Turbinates; D055815:Young Adult