Evaluation of Nasal Patency with 4‐Phase Rhinomanometry

Abstract

Objective: Objective assessment of nasal patency in patients with nasal septal deviation should be required to determine the severity of the symptoms. The purpose of this study was to compare results of nasal sound spectral analysis (NSSA) with results of 4-phase rhinomanometry. Method: NSSA and 4-phase rhinomanometry were performed on 53 patients with nasal septal deviation and 55 healthy subjects. Cutoffs for NSSA and 4-phase rhinomanometry were defined by receiver operating characteristic analysis. Results: A significant difference was observed in either NSSA values or 4-phase rhinomanometry values between the nasal deviated patients and the control group ( P < .001). A correlation was observed in patients between NSSA results of nasal intensity (dB) and its frequency (Hz) at a frequency range of 2 to 4 kHz and 4-phase results of effective resistance and verteresistance. No significant differences in terms of sensitivity of NSSA and 4-phase rhinomanometry (79.3% versus 75.5%), specificity (80.0% versus 85.5%) and diagnostic accuracy (79.6% versus 80.6%) were found. Conclusion: Use of NSSA and the 4-phase rhinomanometry both for assessment of patients with nasal septal deviation provides objective information to aid in clinical decision making.