Correlation of VAS and NOSE Score With CT Cross-Sectional Areas Perpendicular to the Direction of the Airflow in Patients Eligible for Functional Nasal Surgery.

Objective: To investigate the correlation of nasal obstruction symptom score (NOSE) and visual analogue scale (VAS) score with standardized computed tomography cross-sectional areas (CT-CSA).

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, candidates for functional septo(-rhino)plasty due to chronic nasal obstruction, with a preoperative CT scan were eligible. Subjects filled out a NOSE (0-100) score and a VAS (0-4) score. Nine CT-CSA were segmented. We measured the absolute difference of the right from the left nose as a measure of asymmetry. We examined the correlation of NOSE and VAS score with the mean value of asymmetry of these CT-CSA and with the largest asymmetry among these CT-CSA.

Results: In 40 subjects, the median value (minimum-maximum) of NOSE and VAS score was 75.0 (20-95) and 3.0 (1-4), respectively. NOSE score correlated significantly with VAS score (r = 0.74; P < .001). The median value of the mean asymmetry and largest asymmetry was 0.37 (0.18-1.11) and 0.83 (0.33-1.94) cm², respectively. NOSE score correlated neither with the mean asymmetry (r = 0.28; P = .085) nor with the largest asymmetry (r = 0.22; P = .18). VAS score correlated significantly, still poorly, with the mean asymmetry (r = 0.51; P < .001) and lesser with the largest asymmetry (r = 0.39; P = .012).

Conclusion: Despite the limited sample size, VAS score correlated significantly, but poorly, with CT-CSA in candidates for functional nasal surgery. On the contrary, NOSE score did not correlate with CT-CSA preoperatively.