Numerical model of a nasal septal perforation.

This paper describes numerical simulation of airflow in a nose with a nasal septal perforation. Diseased airflow is compared to airflow in a healthy nasal model. The healthy model has been generated from CT scans from the Antrim Area Hospital ENT clinic and is close to being anatomically accurate. The nasal septal perforation has been superimposed on the healthy geometry using image manipulation software. The flow is modeled as laminar, steady state, with the flow rates corresponding to quiet breathing at rest approximately 165 ml/sec. Healthy flow patterns show that the majority of the flow travels close to nasal septum, in the region close to the middle turbinate. In the diseased case, high shear stresses concentrated at the posterior region of the perforation explain bleeding associated with nasal perforations.