Nasal septal deviation and external nasal deformity: a correlative study of 100 cases

A prospective study of 100 consecutive patients of deviated nasal septum to analyze association of septal deviation with external nasal deformity was undertaken at Acharya Vinoba Bhave rural Hospital of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Sawangi (Meghe) Wardha from January 2009 to September 2010. Nasal septal deviations were evaluated by clinical examination and diagnostic nasal endoscopy while external nasal deformities, after evaluating, were documented using high resolution photography Nasal septal deviations were classified in seven types from I to VII by using Mladina's classification modified by Janardhan et al. Jang classification was employed to classify external nasal deformities. 66% of the patients with deviated nasal septum were symptomatic while 34 lacked symptoms. Nasal obstruction was the most frequent symptom in 64% followed by nasal discharge in 33% Type VII was the most common type of deviation in 29%. Study revealed that 67% of the patients with deviated nasal septum had external nasal deformity and of the 67 patients with external deformity, Type I deformity was most frequent (26%). Remarkable feature of our study was Type I, III, V septal deviations were not associated with external deviation Type II septal deviations were commonly associated with Type III external deformity (7%) and Type IV septal deviation were closely associated with Type I external deformity (12%).