Biomaterial Database

The role of rhinomanometry, acoustic rhinometry, and mucociliary transport time in the assessment of nasal patency. 2000

D Passàli, and C Mezzedimi, and G C Passàli, and D Nuti, and L Bellussi

ENT Department, University of Siena Medical School, Italy. passali@unisi.it

We conducted a study of 60 patients with different nasal pathologies who complained of nasal obstruction. Our goal was to evaluate the reliability of rhinomanometry, acoustic rhinometry, and the measurement of mucociliary transport time in helping make the diagnosis of nasal pathologies. We also sought to discover whether there is a correlation between the findings of these objective tests and the results of patients' own subjective assessments of nasal obstruction. We found that acoustic rhinometry was more specific and more sensitive than rhinomanometry in diagnosing rhinopathies in patients with structural anomalies. Symptom scores as rated by patients on the visual analog scale frequently did not correlate with objective measures, as patients often overestimated the severity of their obstruction. However, for a few patients, there was a correlation between symptom scores and mucociliary transport times.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008365	Manometry	Measurement of the pressure or tension of liquids or gases with a manometer.	Tonometry,Manometries
D009079	Mucociliary Clearance	A non-specific host defense mechanism that removes MUCUS and other material from the LUNGS by ciliary and secretory activity of the tracheobronchial submucosal glands. It is measured in vivo as mucus transfer, ciliary beat frequency, and clearance of radioactive tracers.	Mucociliary Transport,Clearance, Mucociliary,Clearances, Mucociliary,Mucociliary Clearances,Mucociliary Transports,Transport, Mucociliary,Transports, Mucociliary
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000162	Acoustics	The branch of physics that deals with sound and sound waves. In medicine it is often applied in procedures in speech and hearing studies. With regard to the environment, it refers to the characteristics of a room, auditorium, theatre, building, etc. that determines the audibility or fidelity of sounds in it. (From Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2d ed)	Acoustic
D000704	Analysis of Variance	A statistical technique that isolates and assesses the contributions of categorical independent variables to variation in the mean of a continuous dependent variable.	ANOVA,Analysis, Variance,Variance Analysis,Analyses, Variance,Variance Analyses
D013997	Time Factors	Elements of limited time intervals, contributing to particular results or situations.	Time Series,Factor, Time,Time Factor
D014420	Turbinates	The scroll-like bony plates with curved margins on the lateral wall of the NASAL CAVITY. Turbinates, also called nasal concha, increase the surface area of nasal cavity thus providing a mechanism for rapid warming and humidification of air as it passes to the lung.	Nasal Concha,Conchae Nasales,Conchae Nasale,Nasal Conchas,Turbinate
D015508	Nasal Obstruction	Any hindrance to the passage of air into and out of the nose. The obstruction may be unilateral or bilateral, and may involve any part of the NASAL CAVITY.	Bilateral Nasal Obstruction,Nasal Airway Obstruction,Nasal Blockage,Unilateral Nasal Obstruction,Airway Obstruction, Nasal,Blockage, Nasal,Blockages, Nasal,Nasal Blockages,Nasal Obstruction, Bilateral,Nasal Obstruction, Unilateral,Obstruction, Bilateral Nasal,Obstruction, Nasal,Obstruction, Nasal Airway,Obstructions, Nasal