Nasal cycle in patients with septal deviation: evaluation by acoustic rhinometry

The nasal cycle in patients with septal deviation was studied by acoustic rhinometric techniques. This study included 24 patients with anteriorly located septal deviations (mean age = 23.5), and 26 normal controls (mean age = 24.7). Data of MCA (minimum cross-sectional area) and NV (nasal volume), collected in 20-minute intervals, were plotted for each subject during 8 hours. Twenty of 24 patients (83%) with septal deviation and 20 of 26 normal subjects (77%) showed at least one complete cycle. Duration of the nasal cycle, which ranged from 100 minutes to 400 minutes, had no statistical difference between the septal deviation group (mean duration of 216 minutes) and the normal control group (mean duration of 227 minutes). The degrees of variation of MCA and NV, defined as Degree of Variation of MCA (%) = 100 (MCAmax - MCAmin)/MCAmax, Degree of Variation of NV (%) = 100 (NVmax - NVmin)/NVmax, which represent the percent change of MCA and NV throughout the study, showed no difference between the wide side and the narrow side, or between the septal deviation group and the normal control group. These findings suggest that the nasal cycle is relatively independent of peripheral anatomic factors for its generation. However, the amplitude of changes of MCA was greater in the wide side, and the sum of both MCAs tended to fluctuate in accordance with the fluctuation of MCA of the wide side. Thus, the nasal cycle seemed to be affected by septal deviation.