Investigations on the subjective assessment of the size of nasal septal defects

Background When treating a nasal septal defect, it is very important to know the exact size of the defect. This is the only way to control defects in the long term and determine their exact progression. In addition, the preoperative knowledge of the exact size of a septal defect is indispensable for a correct consultation of the patient regarding the prognosis of a possible surgical treatment and for the surgeon the basis for a reasonably realistic assessment of the personal feasibility against the background of his own rhinosurgical experience.

Methodology From 2016 to 2018, a total of 331 patients with nasal septal defects were presented in the rhinosurgical department of the ENT Centre Neuss. A subjective assessment of the septal defects in the millimeter range (height, width, septum height in the defect area) was performed for all of them. In 289 of these cases, the defect size could be accurately measured with the help of the DVT images and in 27 cases with the help of CTs.

Results Only in 18 % of the cases did the subjective size estimation of the septal defects correspond to some extent with the objective values (+/- 3 mm) measured on the X-ray images. In 51 % the subjective estimate was too small and in 31 % too large. The deviations were between 4 and 12 mm. There were particularly high deviations in the estimation of the septum height in the defect area.

Conclusions A preoperative classification of nasal septal defects based only on a subjective assessment of their size is extremely error-prone. Therefore, an exact preoperative measurement with the help of a DVT should always be carried out at least for defect sizes in the border area - between type II and type III.

Poster-PDF A-1509.PDF

Publication History

Article published online:
10 June 2020