Evaluation of the nasal septal body in pediatric patients

Objective: The nasal septal body (NSB) is a fusiform shaped dynamic structure and the widest part of the anterior septum. It consists of a thickened septal cartilage, bone, glandular, and vasoactive structures covered by mucous membranes. Hence, it plays a role in nasal airflow and humidification. This study evaluated the size of this structure in pediatric patients with allergic rhinitis and other sinonasal pathologies. Methods: The study was conducted at the Başkent University Hospital otolaryngology department between 2015 and 2019. A total of 117 children were enrolled, including 96 patients and 21 controls. The study group was divided into 3 sub-groups: group 1, with sinonasal pathologies and allergic rhinitis; group 2, with sinonasal pathologies only; and group 3, with allergic rhinitis only. The widest horizontal part of the NSB was measured on paranasal coronal computed tomography sections. Results: The mean NSB width in the patient and control groups were 1.00±0.19 cm and 0.90±0.16 cm, respectively. The NSB was significantly larger in the patient groups compared to the controls (p=0.032). There was no significant difference among the study sub-groups in terms of NSB width (p=0.215). A significant positive correlation was found between age and NSB in the patient and control groups (r=0.366, p=0.000 and r=0.632, p=0.002, respectively). There was a significant correlation between age and NSB in group 1 and group 2 (r=0.354, p=0.015 and r=0.447, p=0.010, respectively). Conclusion: The nasal septal body is significantly larger in children with comorbid sinonasal pathologies and allergic rhinitis compared to the control group.