Vol.95 No.10 contentsPRACTICA OTO-RHINO-LARYNGOLOGICA
Vol. 95 No. 10 October 2002
Three Cases of Traumatic Stenosis of the Nostril
Nobuhisa Ito and Michinari Muraoka
(Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine)
Three cases of traumatic stenosis of the nostril were reported. In a 23-year-old male, the right nostril was obstructed by scar tissue. Deformity of the right ala was also seen. He was successfully treated by surgical enlargement of the stenosis using a nasolabial skin flap transplantation technique under local anesthesia. In a 37-year-old male, the right nostril became obstructed by scar tissue following traffic accident. He was treated by surgical enlargement of the stenosis using a nasolabial skin flap and composite graft transplantation technique under general anesthesia. In a 65-year-old male, the bilateral nares became obstructed by membraneous scar tissue. The left nostril was treated simply with surgical enlargement, while the right nostril was successfully enlarged using an island nasolabial skin flap transplantation technique under general anesthesia. In this case, rhinomanometry, which is an objective evaluation of nasal patency, showed obvious reduction of nasal resistance to airflow after the surgical repairs. In all cases, patients had shown nasal obstructions, but were able to breath comfortably through their nostrils after surgery. The stenoses have not recurred following skin flap transplantation in any of the three cases. The author concludes that skin flap transplantation is the most effective reconstruction method for defects after enlagement of traumatic stenosis of nostril.
Key words : traumatic stenosis of nostril, composite graft, nasolabial skin flap, rhinomanometry, nasal obstruction