Abstract

Objectives: This study was performed in order to determine the value of tomographic evaluation in measurement of the internal nasal valve angle.

Patients and Methods: Thirty-one patients were examined by nasal endoscopy and computerized tomography. In each case, nasal valve angle were measured using nasal endoscopy and computed tomography (CT) images. Computed tomography measurements obtained from classic coronal and nasal base view (NBV) sections to determine the nasal valve angle were compared with the measurements obtained from nasal endoscopic examination images.

Results: When the endoscopic versus the coronal tomographic measurements and the coronal tomographic versus NBV images measurements were compared, statistically significant differences were found. No statistically significant difference was observed between the endoscopic and NBV images measurements.

Conclusion: The results of the study indicate that tomographic images obtained through NBV technique provide accurate measurements of nasal valve angle. Thus, this technique may be choice of preference in the evaluation of nasal and paranasal areas in selected patients. However, traditional coronal tomographic imaging is not a proper method for determination of the nasal valve angle alone because of it's cost and side effects.