CT Scan Study of Influence of Septal Angle Deviation on Lateral Nasal Wall in Patients of Chronic Rhinosinusitis

Abstract

The nasal septum is an important physiological and support structure of the nose. The nasal septal deviation causes alteration in air flow, mucociliary clearance and effects structures of the lateral nasal wall causing various nasal symptoms and other sinonasal disease. A systematic analysis was performed to measure the angle of septal deviation on CT scan PNS coronal section and to evaluate the influence of increasing septal angle deviation on the severity of lateral nasal wall abnormalities. A total of 61 patients with clinical evidence of chronic rhinosinusitis refractory to medical therapy for minimum three months were included in this study. After preliminary anterior & posterior rhinoscopic examination, all patients were evaluated with nasal endoscopy & CT scan PNS coronal view. There was statistically significant increase in hypertrophy of the middle turbinates and prominence of bulla ethmoidalis with OMC impingement on the side opposite to the direction of septal deviation. No apparent statistically significant difference between ipsilateral and contra lateral side OMC disease and anterior sinus mucosal disease in relation to direction of septal deviation in various groups was seen. We concluded that there is a strong association of increasing angles of septal deviation with corresponding patterns of disease in ostiomeatal complex. The result of the present study reemphasized the fact that, obstruction at ostiomeatal complex and anterior ethmoids secondary to septal deviation is the key factor for causation of chronic sinusitis. © 2014 Association of Otolaryngologists of India.