OBJECTIVE. The aim of the study was to determine the impact of the nasal pathologies over nasal mucociliary clearance and rhinomanometric parameters.
MATERIAL AND METHODS. This is a retrospective analytical observational clinical study during a period of 6 months, between 2014 and 2015. 123 subjects, 63 of whom had nasal pathology and 60 of whom were healthy controls, were enrolled in this study. The diagnosis of nasal pathology was made based on clinical examination, nasal endoscopy and anterior rhinomanometry. A methylene blue test was used to evaluate the mucociliary clearance.
RESULTS. The subjects with nasal pathology had nasal septum deviation (No=50), chronic rhinitis (No=42), rhinosinusitis (No=15) and nasal polyposis (No=17). The mean total air flow in inspiration in nasal pathology patients group was 546.7 ml/s (millilitre/second), with a median of 594 ml/s, comparing with the control group who had the mean air flow of 865.5 ml/s, with a median of 866.5 ml/s. In expiration, the mean air flow in those with nasal pathology was 603.9 ml/s and a median of 611 ml/s, comparing with the control group who had the mean air flow of 871.1 ml/s and a median around 872 ml/s. The mean time from the application of methylene blue liquid to first seeing it in patients with nasal pathology was 23.41 minutes for the right nostril and 23.32 minutes for the left nostril, comparing with the control group who had the mean of mucociliary clearance of 6.76 minutes for the right nostril and 6.93 minutes for the left one.
CONCLUSION. The results obtained in anterior rhinomanometry and methylene blue liquid test showed that nasal pathology does affect nasal physiology and it is an important factor to evaluate the mucociliary clearance.
