[Nasal resistance in facial palsy]

The parasympathetic nerve which innervates the nasal mucosa is known to take a course along the facial nerve, geniculate ganglion, greater petrosal nerve and Vidian nerve as a preganglionic component. In the case of facial palsy with decreased lacrimation, it is proposed that the patients have a damage of the geniculate or suprageniculate lesion. This lesion is thought to cause parasympathetic, preganglionic denervation to the nasal mucosa. In the case of facial palsy with decreased lacrimation in Schirmer's test, it can be considered that the preganglionic nerve fibers of their parasympathetic nerves to the nose were injured. Twenty-seven cases of facial palsy were selected for this study. We found that 18 (66.7%) out of 27 patients with facial palsy showed a nasal cycle and that 9 (33.3%) showed no nasal cycle. Ten (62.5%) out of 16 patients with decreased lacrimation showed a nasal cycle. In Hasegawa and Kern's study, a nasal cycle was present in 72% of 50 normal subjects. Our data was similar to their finding. Therefore we conclude that the nasal cycle was not influenced by injury to the preganglionic, parasympathetic nerve to the nose.