This is an explorative study of growth-related nasal geometry in healthy children.
Methods
A total of 88 girls and boys between the ages of 4 and 16 years were followed over a period of 2 years by acoustic rhinometry. The registrations were correlated to height at each occasion.
Results
Although both the minimal cross-sectional area and the nasal volume increased in all age groups over 7 years, large individual variations in nasal geometry led to a weak relationship with growth.
Conclusion
In the undecongested nasal cavity in children, correlation of nasal geometry makes sense for height but not for age.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
HilbergO., JacksonA.C., SwiftD.L.Acoustic rhinometry: Evaluation of nasal cavity geometry by acoustic reflection.J Appl Physiol66: 295–303, 1989.
2.
GrymerL.F., HilbergO., PedersenO.F., and RasmussenT.R.Acoustic rhinometry: Values from adults with subjective normal nasal patency.Rhinology29: 35–47, 1991.
3.
DjupeslandP.G., and LyholmB.Changes in nasal airway dimensions in infancy.Acta Otolaryngol (Stockh)118: 852–858, 1998.
4.
SipiläJ., Nyberg-SimolaS., SuonpääJ.Some fundamental studies on clinical measurement conditions in acoustic rhinometry.Rhinology34: 206–209, 1996.
5.
MillqvistE., and BendeM.Reference values for acoustic rhinometry in subjects without nasal symptoms.Am J Rhinol12: 341–343, 1998.
6.
NumminenJ., AhtinenM., HuhtalaH., and RautiainenM.Correlations between rhinometric measurement methods in healthy young adults.Am J Rhinol16: 203–208, 2002.
7.
RoithmannR., ColeP., ChapnikJ.Acoustic rhinometry, rhinomanometry, and the sensation of nasal patency: A correlative study.J Otolaryngol23: 454–458, 1994.
8.
KarlbergJ.On the modelling of human growth.Stat Med6: 185–192, 1987.
9.
Albertsson-WiklandK., and KarlbergJ.Natural growth in children born small for gestational age with and without catch-up growth.Acta Paediatr Suppl399: 64–70, 1994.
