Age-related description of the posterior structures of the nasal cavity in children

Abstract

The aim of the study was to describe morphometric characteristics of the posterior parts of the nasal cavity in different periods of childhood and to specify the age-related norm for improving surgical treatment options of choanal atresia and providing an optimal access to the anterior part of the skull base. Material and methods. The study included 87 children aged 1-21 who were exposed to craniometry of the nasal cavity structures. Results. The age-related variability of the linear dimensions and shape of the choanae, their relationship with the dimensions of the pyriform aperture and the height of the nasal cavity in the posterior part were defined in the study. The increase in the height of the choanae and the height of the nasal cavity at the back starts from 2– 3 years of age, and the width – from 8–12 years of age. The height and width of the pyriform aperture are equal to the age of 8–12; these parameters increase in older children's groups with a predominance of the height over the width. The height of the nasal cavity at the back increases in all age periods. The growth of the studied structures of the nasal cavity is completed by adolescence. In infancy, the height of the choanae is less than the height of the nasal cavity at the back by 45%, and less than the height of the pyriform aperture by 20%; in adolescence, these ratios are 42% and 23%, respectively. In infancy the choanal width is less than the width of the pyriform aperture by 49%, and in adolescence – by 40%. In infancy and early childhood, the choanae are typically small in height and width. Their shape is round in 25% of cases, however, ovoid shape is also found. The height and width of the pyriform-shaped aperture at these age periods are similar and do not exceed 17–18 mm; the height of the nasal cavity at the back is 25–27 mm. Conclusion. The authors have described age-related morphometric features of the posterior structures of the nasal cavity. These features should be taken into account by otorhinolaryngologists and neurosurgeons when planning endoscopic intranasal surgical access in children. The younger the child is, the more difficult it is to perform a surgery due to the significant restriction of the access resulted from the small size of the piriform opening and the nasal cavity, and the obstinacy of the nasal septum. When performing choanotomy for atresia, it is necessary to form the choana comparing it in shape and size with the age-related norm