A nose clinic: initial results.

A Nose Clinic, run jointly by an ENT surgeon and a chest physician, has been established to consider the relationship between diseases affecting the upper and lower parts of the respiratory tract and the contribution of malfunctioning respiratory defence mechanisms to such disease. The logistics of the clinic are described. Initial results suggest that mucociliary clearance abnormalities, immunity deficiencies and secondary infection in allergic rhinitis underlie a number of conditions presenting to ENT clinics. It is proposed that investigation of such patients leads to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of these conditions and, hence, a more logical approach to both medical and surgical treatment. It is suggested that early recognition and treatment of such underlying abnormalities may avoid irreversible damage.