Acoustic rhinometry (ARM) has been used to study the nasal cavity geometry and the response in nasal provocations. However, the use of ARM in the diagnosis of occupational rhinitis (OR) has not been reported. The purpose of this study was to find an ARM parameter and a limit value that could be used in provocation tests to express an objective change in the nasal cavity geometry. We used a new calculated parameter, Volume MCA%, for describing the change in the nasal geometry. Volume MCA% is the mean of the percentile changes of nasal volumes and minimal cross-sectional areas in a provocation test. We recommend a decrease of at least 15% in Volume MCA% for the limit of an essential change in the nasal cavity.
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