Reproducibility of Acoustic Rhinometric Measurements

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Abstract
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the reproducibility of acoustic rhinometric measurements obtained by means of a technique that avoids distortion of the compliant nasal vestibule. Subjects with noses untreated by decongestant were tested every minute for 6 consecutive minutes (576 area-distance curves–A-D curves), every 30 minutes for 6 consecutive hours (672 A-D curves), every day at 9 AM for 5 consecutive days (1200 A-D curves) and every Monday morning for 5 consecutive weeks (1200 A-D curves). The coefficient of variation found for the total minimum cross-sectional area (MCA) and total nasal volume (NV) increased with duration of the time interval between test and retest from 5% to 17% and from 4% to 9%, respectively. Variation of total MCA (combined right and left) and total NV (combined right and left) was smaller than variation of unilateral MCA or NV. Despite the dynamic nature of the nose, a standardized acoustic rhinometric technique can obtain acceptable results from subjects acting as their own controls in nasal physiological research and in clinical assessments.