Simulated Septal Deviations

Abstract

• Effects of simulated septal deviations on nasal airflow resistance were measured in two healthy young adults by computer-assisted rhinomanometry. Within the decongested bony cavum, simulated deviations, 30 × 5 × 5 mm perpendicular to the maxillary crest, elevated resistance only slightly, but severely when the mucosa was not decongested. Caval resistance was unaffected by simulated maxillary crest spurs, 30 × 5 × 5 mm, in either vascular state. Between inferior turbinate and anterior naris, 5-mm septal protrusions from floor to roof increased resistance severely, but when shortened by one third, their resistive effects were markedly decreased, especially when positioned near the roof. The cavum can accommodate large septal spurs, deviations, and congested mucosa with little effect on airflow resistance. By contrast, resistance of the anterior nasal airway beyond the inferior turbinate bone is acutely responsive to changes in mucosal congestion and to septal protrusions, especially when they are situated near the floor of the nose. (Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1988;114:413-415)