Detection of occult and intermittent rhinorrhea using 111In-DTPA

In an attempt to detect occult or intermittent rhinorrhea, 10 patients without and 9 cases with rhinorrhea were investigated after a lumbal injection of 1.3 mCi 111In-DTPA. Significant count rates were detectable in the nasal pledgets of all individuals, so that it was not possible to distinguish those with and those without rhinorrhea. Therefore, the ratio of activity in nasal pledgets and blood normalized for weight recommended by McKusick et al. was used. In the patients without evidence of rhinorrhea, the ratio did not exceed 2.0, whereas in 8 of the 9 cases with rhinorrhea, it was considerably increased. The detectability of rhinorrhea was increased by using more than one measurement and by provocation manoeuvres.