Age-Related Changes in Nasal Septal Composition: A CT-Based Morphometric Analysis
Mustafa Emrah Kınal1, Niyazi Gunsu Koç1
1Sultan 2.Abdülhamid Khan Education and Research Hospital, Ministry of Health, Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, İstanbul, Türkiye, Üsküdar.
Introduction:
The nasal septum plays an important role in craniofacial development and rhinoplasty, but age-related changes in septal composition remain incompletely understood.
Objectives & Hypotheses:
This study aimed to evaluate age-related morphometric changes in the nasal septum and test the hypothesis that septal composition shifts from cartilage to bone dominance with aging.
Study Design:
Retrospective cross-sectional study (STROBE-compliant).
Methods:
Facial CT scans from 200 patients were analyzed. Septal cartilage area (SCA), lamina perpendicularis area (LPA), vomer area (VA), total septum area (TSA), cartilage-to-bone ratio, and SCA/LPA ratio were measured and compared by age and sex.
Results:
TSA increased until adolescence and remained stable thereafter. SCA declined after adolescence, whereas LPA increased until early adulthood. Cartilage dominance progressively decreased and stabilized after 30 years. Similar proportional trends were observed in both sexes.
Conclusion:
Nasal septum morphology undergoes a distinct age-related transition characterized by a shift from cartilage dominance to bony dominance, reaching equilibrium after early adulthood.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Cranial Bones: Lateral View
The temporal bone forms the lower lateral side of the skull. The temporal bone is subdivided into several regions. The flattened upper portion is the squamous portion of the temporal bone. Below this area and projecting anteriorly is the zygomatic process of the temporal bone, which forms the posterior portion of the zygomatic arch. Posteriorly is the mastoid portion of the temporal bone. Projecting...
01:24Nose and Nasal Cavity