Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T03:23:47.377Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Physiological changes in the size of the septal swell body correlate with changes in inferior turbinate size

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 April 2020

E H Wong ,
M Noussair ,
Z Hasan ,
M Duvnjak  and
N Singh
E H Wong*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
M Noussair
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, St George Hospital, Sydney, Australia
Z Hasan
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia
M Duvnjak
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia
N Singh
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
*
Author for correspondence: Dr Eugene H Wong, Department of Otolaryngology, Westmead Hospital, University of Sydney, Hawkesbury Rd, SydneyNSW2145, Australia E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objective

The nasal septal swell body is a normal anatomical structure located in the superior nasal septum anterior to the middle turbinate. However, the impact of the septal swell body in nasal breathing during normal function and disease remains unclear. This study aimed to establish that the septal swell body varies in size over time and correlates this with the natural variation of the inferior turbinates.

Method

Consecutive patients who underwent at least two computed tomography scans were identified. The width and height of the septal swell body and the inferior turbinates was recorded. A correlation between the difference in septal swell body and turbinates between the two scans was performed using a Pearson's coefficient.

Results

A total of 34 patients (53 per cent female with a mean age of 58.3 ± 20.2 years) were included. The mean and mean difference in septal swell body width between scans for the same patient was 1.57 ± 1.00 mm. The mean difference in turbinate width between scans was 2.23 ± 2.52 mm. A statistically significant correlation was identified between the difference in septal swell body and total turbinate width (r = 0.35, p = 0.04).

Conclusion

The septal swell body is a dynamic structure that varies in width over time in close correlation to the inferior turbinates. Further research is required to quantify its relevance as a surgical area of interest.

Keywords

Nasal ObstructionTurbinatesNasal SeptumNose DiseasesRhinitis
Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 134 , Issue 4 , April 2020 , pp. 323 - 327
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

Dr E H Wong takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper

References

Stewart, M, Ferguson, BJ, Fromer, L. Epidemiology and burden of nasal congestion. Int J Gen Med 2010;3:37–45CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Corey, JP, Houser, SM, Ng, BA. Nasal congestion: a review of its etiology, evaluation and treatment. Ear Nose Throat J 2000;79:690–3CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Joniau, S, Wong, I, Rajapaksa, S, Carney, SA, Wormald, PJ. Long-term comparison between submucosal cauterization and powered reduction of the inferior turbinates. Laryngoscope 2006;116:1612–16CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Siegel, NS, Gliklich, RE, Taghizadeh, F, Chang, Y. Outcomes of septoplasty. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2000;122:228–32CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ciolek, PJ, Xu, A, Anne, S, Geelan-Hansen, K. Role of adenoidectomy in chronic nasal obstruction after nasal steroid therapy failure. Am J Otolaryngol 2017;38:305–8CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Costa, DJ, Sanford, T, Janney, C, Cooper, M, Sindwani, R. Radiographic and anatomic characterization of the nasal septal swell body. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2010;136:1107–10CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Negus, V. The comparative anatomy and physiology of the nose and paranasal sinuses. Edinburgh: E&S Livingstone, 1958Google Scholar
Wexler, D, Bravermann, I, Amar, M. Histology of the nasal septal swell body (septal turbinate) Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2006;134:596–600CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martinez, SA, Nissen, AJ, Stock, CR, Tesmer, T. Nasal turbinate resection for relief of nasal obstruction. Laryngoscope 1983;93:871–5CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smith, DH, Brook, CD, Virani, S, Platt, MP. The inferior turbinate: an autonomic organ. Am J Otolaryngol 2018;39:771–5CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Berger, G, Gass, S, Ophir, D. The histopathology of the hypertrophic inferior turbinate. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2006;132:588–94CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gelera, JE, Ojar, D, Lim, JH, Wee, JH, Kim, JW, Rhee, CS. Radiographic changes of the nasal septal body among patients with sinonasal diseases. Clin Exp Otorhinolaryngol 2017;10:338–43CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yu, MS, Kim, JY, Kim, BH, Kang, SH, Lim, DJ. Feasibility of septal body volume reduction for patients with nasal obstruction. Laryngoscope 2015;125:1523–8CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Catalano, P, Ashmead, MG, Carlson, D. RadioFrequency ablation of septal swell body. Ann Otolaryngol Rhino 2015;2:1069Google Scholar