ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To explore the effect of septoplasty on the modality of inferior turbinate in patients with a deviated nasal septum.@*METHOD@#Twenty-three patients with nasal septum deviation underwent septoplasty without turbinate surgery. All patients underwent CT imaging scans before and 3 months after the surgery. The thicknesses of the medial mucosa, lateral mucosa,and the cross-sectional areas of the inferior turbinate were measured and compared using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. P0. 05), and the cross-sectional area of the inferior turbinate was(139. 8 +/- 35.6) mm2 to( 110. 3 +/- 22.6)mm2 (P0. 05), the thicknesses of the lateral mucosa of the inferior turbinate was(1. 9+/-1. 1) mm to (1. 9+/-1.3) mm (P>0. 05), and the cross-sectional area of the inferior turbinate was(104. 5+/-15. 8)mm2 to(108. 3 +/- 20. 8)mm2 (P>0. 05), pre- and post-operatively.@*CONCLUSION@#The compensatory hypertrophic inferior turbinate may be self-adaptability in modality soon after septoplasty, thus surgeons must take it into consideration before performing turbinate surgery.