Abstract
Rationale: Upper airway and nasal airflow resistance are significant in infancy, due to the fact that infants are nasal breathers in early life, and that obstructive nasal diseases are frequent at this age. Nasal flow resistance is closely determined by anatomy, which rapidly changes with growth. The goal of this study was to assess standardized measurements of the nasal cavity dimensions in the first 2 years of life.
Methods: 34 head CT scans of infants aged 4.13±4.08 months (range: 0.07 to 19.4, 17 male, 17 female) available in the Amiens University Hospital Dept. of Radiology database were retrospectively analyzed. Infants with craniofacial deformities were excluded. Images were 3D reconstructed, axially oriented and the nasal cavity was segmented by density thresholding from nares to vocal cords. Surface areas of the piriform and choanal apertures were automatically computed in the coronal plane, in standardized positions based on bony reference points.
Results:Piriform surface area measured (mean±SD): 54.3±13.8 mm2 (range: 29.1 - 83.9), and was significantly correlated to age (R=0.59, p<0.001), and height (R=0.57, p<0.001). Choanal aperture surface area: 81.3±28.1 mm2 (range: 38.0 – 164.7), and was significantly correlated to age (R=0.74, p<10-6), and height (R=0.71, p<10-5).
Conclusions: These data suggest that the nasal cavity anterior and posterior apertures grow rapidly during the first 2 years of life, and that their dimensions are closely correlated to age and height. Further investigation will focus on how the anatomic growth of the nasal cavity in early life affects airflow resistance.
- © 2014 ERS
