Otolaryngologists' radiological assessment of nasal septum deviation symptomatology

Development and validation of a nomogram for predicting the need for concomitant endoscopic septoplasty during endonasal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy

Background

Simultaneous endoscopic septoplasty is often required during endonasal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (En-DCR) to improve access to the lacrimal sac and potentially optimize surgical success rates. In current practice, the decision to proceed to concomitant endoscopic septoplasty during En-DCR in patients with primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction (PANDO) is determined by anterior rhinoscopy and nasal endoscopic examination. However, none of these methods can be used to quantitatively assess the severity of septal deviation to determine the need for concomitant endoscopic septoplasty during En-DCR. This study was thus conducted to develop and validate a radiological prediction model based on computed tomography (CT) to predict the necessity of concomitant endoscopic septoplasty during En-DCR.

Methods

Data from 225 patients with PANDO and nasal septal deviation (NSD) who had undergone unilateral En-DCR in a single center from January 2022 to June 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was used to select predictors for concomitant endoscopic septoplasty during En-DCR. The ultimate model was developed through the application of multivariable logistic regression and subsequently confirmed through assessment with an internal validation cohort. The final model was then visually represented using a nomogram and an online calculator.

Results

In this retrospective study of 225 eyes from 225 patients with PANDO and NSD, the training cohort included 157 eyes, and the validation cohort included 68 eyes. CT imaging characteristics including NSD angle [odds ratio (OR) 1.54; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.32-1.87], NSD location (OR 4.49; 95% CI: 1.25-18.77), NSD direction (OR 5.38; 95% CI: 1.48-24.52), and middle nasal passage width (MNPW) at the surgical side (OR 0.61; 95% CI: 0.43-0.82) were identified as independent predictors for concomitant endoscopic septoplasty during En-DCR. A novel nomogram constructed from these CT signs showed high predictive performance. The area under the curves (AUCs) of the training set and internal validation set were 0.913 and 0.909, respectively.

Conclusions

A CT-based radiological prediction model was created to help surgeons determine if concomitant endoscopic septoplasty is needed during En-DCR in patients with PANDO and NSD.

Computational Fluid Dynamics and Its Potential Applications for the ENT Clinician

This article is an examination of computational fluid dynamics in the field of otolaryngology, specifically rhinology. The historical development and subsequent application of computational fluid dynamics continues to enhance our understanding of various sinonasal conditions and surgical planning in the field today. This article aims to provide a description of computational fluid dynamics, the methods for its application, and the clinical relevance of its results. Consideration of recent research and data in computational fluid dynamics demonstrates its use in nonhistological disease pathology exploration, accompanied by a large potential for surgical guidance applications. Additionally, this article defines in lay terms the variables analyzed in the computational fluid dynamic process, including velocity, wall shear stress, area, resistance, and heat flux.