Respiratory Oscillometry Findings in Chronic Epipharyngitis.

Abstract

Background: Chronic nasopharyngeal inflammation (chronic epipharyngitis) is associated with various upper airway and systemic symptoms. However, the relationship between endoscopic inflammatory findings and functional respiratory abnormalities remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate respiratory oscillometry parameters measured by the MostGraph system in patients with chronic epipharyngitis and to investigate their changes following Epipharyngeal Abrasive Therapy (EAT).

Methods: In this retrospective observational study, patients diagnosed with chronic epipharyngitis who underwent MostGraph examination were analyzed. Respiratory resistance and reactance parameters, including R5-R20, X5, inspiratory X5 (Xin5), resonant frequency (Fres), and low-frequency reactance area (ALX), were assessed. Endoscopic findings were scored using a standardized grading system. Comparisons were performed between patients and healthy controls, and pre- and post-EAT measurements were evaluated. Correlations between endoscopic severity and oscillometric parameters were analyzed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient.

Results: Patients with chronic epipharyngitis demonstrated significant abnormalities in oscillometric reactance parameters compared with healthy controls. Following EAT, a significant change was observed in R5-R20, whereas other oscillometric parameters did not show significant changes. In addition, endoscopic severity scores showed no significant correlation with oscillometric measurements. These findings suggest that respiratory oscillometry may detect physiological abnormalities that are not directly reflected by endoscopic inflammatory severity.

Conclusions: Patients with chronic epipharyngitis exhibited abnormalities in respiratory oscillometry parameters despite the absence of significant associations with endoscopic severity scores. The observed dissociation between endoscopic findings and oscillometric measurements suggests that morphological inflammation and physiological dysfunction may represent distinct dimensions of the disease. Respiratory oscillometry may therefore provide complementary information regarding the pathophysiology of chronic epipharyngitis beyond conventional endoscopic assessment.