Diagnostic significance of methods for determining nasal breathing disorders

Abstract

In the diagnosis of nasal breathing disorders, the main instrumental diagnostic methods are optical endoscopy of the nose, X-ray computed spiral (or cone-beam) tomography of the nose and paranasal sinuses, as well as rhinomanometry. The statistics included 286 patients with nasal breathing disorders and a control group of 60 people. Patients were divided into two groups - with nasal breathing disorders of different nature and conditional norm (control group). The probability of error in detecting nasal breathing disorders is 0.27 (normalized Euclidean distance 1.82). Taking into account the addition of computed tomography data to the discrimination model, the diagnostic error decreases to 0.11 at a distance of 3.19. When rhinomanometry data are added to the model, the total normalized Euclidean distance increases to 3.96, and the probability of making a diagnostic decision, respectively, decreases to 0.05. Thus, rhinomanometric data make it possible to supplement the results of functional tests with information about changes in the architectonics of the nasal cavity by assessing the effect of anatomical structures on nasal aerodynamics and further reduce the likelihood of errors in diagnostic decisions when detecting disturbances in nasal breathing.