Nasal expiratory sound analysis for evaluation of nasal patency in perennial allergic rhinitis patients treated with nasal corticosteroids.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the efficacy of nasal expiratory sound analysis in determining the degree of nasal obstruction.


METHODS
We have analyzed and recorded the expiratory nasal sounds in 18 healthy controls and in 30 patients with inferior turbinate hypertrophy before and after the administration of nasal corticosteroid treatment. Analysis consisted of the time-expanded waveform, spectral analysis with time-averaged fast Fourier transform and waveform analysis of nasal sound.


RESULTS
Before treatment, an increase in sound intensity at high frequency was observed in the sound analyses of the patients, whereas after treatment, a decrease in sound intensity at high frequency was noted in the sound analyses of the patients. The differences between the patients and the control group were statistically significant. Data obtained with the Odiosoft-Rhino method were correlated with symptom scores and endoscopic examination.


CONCLUSIONS
Expiratory nasal sound is a practical and objective tool, which can be reliably used not only for the assessment of the degree of nasal blockage but also for the comparison of different treatment alternatives.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Osmangazi University School of Medicine, Eskişehir, Turkey.
Cemal
C
Cingi
Ahmet
A
Ural
Erdal
E
Seren
Murat
M
Erdogan
D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D000068656:Mometasone Furoate; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011244:Pregnadienediols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D039981:Pyroglyphidae / Q000276:immunology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D023842:Rhinometry, Acoustic; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D012882:Skin Tests
D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents; D011244:Pregnadienediols; D000068656:Mometasone Furoate; D007073:Immunoglobulin E