비용 적출술 전，후의 음향비강통기도 검사의 변화

Background and Objectives: Acoustic rhinometry (AR) is a convenient method for measurement of the cross-sectional area and volume in the nasal cavity, initially described by Hilberg et al (1989). It is an objective method based on the reflection of an acoustic signal entering the nasal cavity and has several advantages including non-invasiveness, little requirement of patient’s cooperation, cheap cost, high reproducibility and ease to perform. It is presented as a 2-dimensional function of the distance from the nostril and represent the geometry of the nasal cavity. We evaluated the effect of intranasal polypectomy on the nasal geometry using acoustic rhinometry.

Materials and Methods: We asked the presence of the nasal obstruction before and after nasal polypectomy in 17 patients (including 33 nostrils) and perfomed pre- and postoperative acoustic rhinometry after decongestion. Preoperative predecongestive rhinometry was also performed.

Results: We detected significant increment of the cross-sectional area at 4cm from the nostril (CA4.0) after decongestion compare to CA4.0 before decongestion in preoperative state. CA4.0 and unilateral nasal volume after decongestion in postoperative state were also increased significantly compared to preoperative state after decongestion. These results were clinically correlated with improvement of subjective nasal obstruction.

Conclusions: We suggest that acoustic rhinometery is a useful method for objective evaluation of intranasal geometry after nasal polypectomy and has a good correlation with the change of subjective symptom.