Evaluation of rhinostereometry compared with acoustic rhinometry.

Measurement of the nasal mucosa is a challenging task. There are many different methods; each with advantages and disadvantages. In the last decade two new methods have been used extensively: acoustic rhinometry and rhinostereometry. Many studies with rhinostereometry have shown interesting results. However, there have been doubts about this method, since only a few investigators have used it, and it has never been compared with other methods. On the other hand, the acoustic rhinometer has been compared with many other methods. In this study, we compare the results of measurements with acoustic rhinometry and rhinostereometry. Thirty patients with vasomotor rhinitis participated in the study. They were challenged with three histamine concentrations on two occasions. resulting in 180 observations with each method. The results were compared with each other using the linear correlation test, and showed a poor but significant correlation (p < 0.01. r = 0.25). We conclude that acoustic rhinometry and rhinostereometry are sensitive methods for studying nasal mucosal swelling, but that there is poor correlation between the two methods.