[Nasal endoscopy associated with coronal CT in the diagnosis of non- allergic chronic nasal obstruction]. / Associazione endoscopia a fibre rigide e TC in proiezione coronale nella diagnostica delle ostruzioni respiratoire nasali croniche non allergiche.

Twenty-eight non-allergic subjects suffering from mono- and bilateral chronic nasal respiratory obstruction underwent investigation employing routine semeiological examination. The real cause of the obstruction, however, was not ascertained. The subjects underwent nasal endoscopy employing rigid fiberoptics and, on the grounds of the findings, a cat scan of the nasal fossae in coronal projection, was made. The results of the study revealed involvement of the middle meatal area in 63% of bilateral nasal obstructions (B.N.O.) and in 77.7% of the monolateral obstructions (M.N.O.). Choanal pathology was evident in 21% of the B.N.O., while isolated upper and posterior deviations of the septum were present in 23.6% of the B.N.O. and in 22.5% of the M.N.O. Meatal involvement was due to the presence of anatomic changes of the middle turbinate (m.t.) such as concha bullosa, paradoxical deviation of the m.t. and of the uncinate process. Moreover, small "mucosal polyps" were also noticed in this meatal area. Cat scans, performed on 18 of these 28 patients, confirmed and defined meatal alterations found with endoscopy in 16 cases. In the remaining 2 cases, cat scans showed a thickening of the mucosal+bony tissues of the m.t. The Authors did not consider CT necessary in 10 subjects in that endoscopy sufficed in explaining obstruction symptoms.