Measurement of nasal mucociliary activity in man with 99mTc-labelled resin particles.

The mucociliary activity in normal and pathological nasal mucosa was studied with a gamma camera using 99mTc-labelled resin particles. The mucus flow rate was investigated under physiological conditions in the following groups of subjects: normal, allergic rhinitis, vasomotor rhinitis, primary atrophic rhinitis, and laryngectomized. The mean flow rates obtained were 5.7 +/- 2.2, 1.5 +/- 0.5, 1.9 +/- 0.8, 0.0, and 4.8 +/- 1.9 mm/min respectively. When the results were compared, the differences between the normal and allergic rhinitis groups, and the normal and vasomotor rhinitis groups were statistically significant (p less than 0.05). However, the differences between the normal and laryngectomized groups, and the allergic and vasomotor rhinitis groups were insignificant (p greater than 0.05).