Changes occurring in the nasal mucociliary transport in patients with one-sided septum deviation.

Septum deviation is the most commonly seen nasal pathology. Mucociliar activity can be affected by septum deviation that can be detected in many nasal pathologies. This study was aimed to compare the changes occurring in the mucociliary activities in both the nasal cavities of 20 patients with one-sided septal deviation and 20 healthy young individuals without septal deviation. The mucociliary activity of the right nasal cavity in healthy human beings and the mucociliary activity of the concave and convex sides of nasal cavities in patients with septal deviation were measured. Mucociliary clearance was measured by means of the rhinoscintigraphy technique. The mucociliary transport speed on the concave side was found to be significantly increased compared to the convex side and the control group. As a result, the mucociliary activity was within normal limits in patients with septum deviation who didn't have a nasal mucosal disease. Furthermore, the mucociliary activity was found to be increased on the concave side where the airflow was higher.