Journal of Rhinology  1997;4(2):116-119

Acoustic Rhinometry in Nasal Provocation Test.

Tae Young JANG 1 ; Yeong Seok YUN ; Dong Hak JUNG ; Byung Hun KIM ; Young Jin KIM ; Weon Suk CHOI

Affiliations

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Keywords

Acoustic rhinometry; Allergen; Nasal provocation

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

English

Abstract

A nasal provocation test is the most reliable diagnostic test to confirm allergen in allergic rhinitis. However, there are neither specific objective methods nor a standardized method and interpretation. In 20 normal subjects and 86 allergic rhinitis patients, we applied acoustic rhinometry as a new objective method to assess changes in nasal patency induced by nasal allergen challenge, a procedure which is used for confirming allergic rhinitis. The result shows that a minimal cross-sectional area (MCA) and volume from the nose tip on back to 7 cm (nasal cavity volume) after allergen challenge were significantly decreased in allergic rhinitis patients in comparison with the control subjects. We conclude that acoustic rhinometry can provide a sensitive index for evaluating the results of a nasal provocation test.