Modified surgical treatment of atrophic rhinitis

ABSTRACT

The aim of the study was to evaluate the role of alternate periods of surgical closure of the nostrils in treating patients with atrophic rhinitis. A descriptive study was conducted involving 11 patients clinically diagnosed as atrophic rhinitis who underwent surgical closure of the nostrils alternately. These patients were treated in the Department of ENT, Al-Jamhori Teaching Hospital, Mosul, Iraq during the period from April 1990 to December 2004. The parameters analyzed included age, sex, clinical presentation and residence. Moreover, evaluation of the result of alternative periodic surgical closure of the nostrils was evaluated. The study was conducted on 11 patients with atrophic rhinitis [10 females and 1 male]. The average age was 16.2 years with a range of 13.20 years. The peak age incidence was 18th year of life. The most frequent clinical presentation was nasal obstruction in spite of wide nasal cavities. There was improvement of symptoms with regeneration of the nasal mucosa in 10 [90.9%] patients. All of the patients accepted this operation as the other nostril was left open to allow for a relatively functional nasal airway. The results of this series suggest that this technique is useful in the treatment of atrophic rhinitis