The nasal septum deviation index (NSDI) based on CBCT data.

Area of Science:

• Otorhinolaryngology
• Medical Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Nasal septal deviation (NSD) diagnosis often relies on subjective assessments.
• Objective, quantitative methods are needed for accurate NSD evaluation.
• Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) offers detailed 3D imaging of the nasal cavity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of 3D morphometric parameters for diagnosing NSD.
• To determine if CBCT is a suitable imaging modality for NSD assessment.
• To introduce and validate a novel synthetic septal deviation index (SDI).

Main Methods:

• Analyzed CBCT scans from 46 subjects.
• Segmented nasal airways to create 3D models.
• Computed septal deviation angle (SDA), volume differences, total volume, and SDI.
• Utilized Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to correlate parameters with nasal airway variability.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in SDA, volume percentage difference, and SDI were observed between healthy and NSD subjects.
• The synthetic septal deviation index (SDI) showed a strong correlation with the primary component of nasal airway variability (r=0.97, p<0.001).
• CBCT enabled precise evaluation of nasal airway morphology.

Conclusions:

• The synthetic septal deviation index (SDI) is a promising quantitative tool for assessing NSD.
• CBCT is an adequate imaging technique for detailed nasal airway morphology analysis.
• These findings support the use of 3D morphometrics in NSD diagnosis.