Comparison between symptoms and endoscopy in children with nasal obstruction

Objective: Nasal obstruction is a common symptom in childhood. It may be frequently observed in children with allergic rhinitis and/or adenoidal hypertrophy. However, its assessment is very difficult. The aim of the study was to compare the use of both a Face Related Scale (FRS), recorded by children and their parents, and a simplified Visual Analogue Scales (sVAS) with nasal endoscopy in children complaining nasal obstruction. Methods: 121 children (75 males, mean age 7.5 years) were studied. FRS and sVAS for nasal obstruction and endoscopy were performed in all patients. Results: A moderate correlation has been observed between FRS and sVAS and obstruction of nasal anterior segment (r = 0.51 for FRS; r = 0.52 for sVAS), a strong correlation was observed with nasal posterior segment (r = 0.60 for FRS; r = 0.61 for sVAS) assessed by endoscopy. However, parents' perception did not relate with objective parameters. Conclusions: This study suggests that assessment of FRS and sVAS for nasal obstruction may be used in clinical practice to approximately quantify this symptom in children. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.