[Physiological and clinical observation of nasal valve]

In order to explore the site of the nasal valve, the changes of nasal airway resistance (NAR) were measured in normal adults, the patients with chronic rhinitis and the patients undergoing partial inferior turbinotomy by placing plastic pipes with various diameters in the ostium internum. The results showed that before the nasal mucosa decongested, the NAR significantly reduced with the increase of pipe's diameter at the beginning of the test. NAR stopped reducing when the diameter of the pipe increased to some extent. After the nasal mucosa decongested, NAR reduced with the increase of the diameter of the pipes. It suggested that the site of nasal valve is changeable and related to the state of contraction and relaxation of the nasal mucosa and the extent of nasal patency.