Comparison of nasal obstruction symptom evaluation, peak nasal inspiratory flowmeter, and rhinomanometry in patients with nasal deformities

Nasal obstruction is the most common symptom in daily otolaryngology practice that correlates with quality of life. Nasal obstruction etiology is multifactorial and can result from mucosal or structural factors. Subjective and objective evaluation approaches are a significant challenge in its diagnosis. This study aimed to evaluate correlations among the nasal obstruction and symptom evaluation (NOSE) and peak nasal inspiratory flowmeter (PNIF) scores and active anterior rhinomanometry values for nasal obstruction diagnosis in subjects with nasal deformities including crooked nose, saddle nose, nasal valve incompetence, and deviated septum. Furthermore, the correlation of nasal obstruction with sleep-disordered breathing was evaluated. Data in this cross-sectional analytical study in 52 consecutive subjects with nasal deformities and 10 consecutive normal subjects were analyzed with the bootstrapping method. Mean nasal resistance in normal subjects and those with nasal deformities were 0.172 and 0.173 Pa/cm³/s, respectively, on 75 Pa. The NOSE score was not significantly correlated with the PNIF score or the nasal airflow resistance determined by rhinomanometry. However, there was a significant correlation between PNIF and nasal airflow resistance.