Acquired Disorders of the Nose

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Chapter 369 Acquired Disorders of the Nose

Tumors, septal perforations, and other acquired abnormalities of the nose and paranasal sinuses can manifest with epistaxis. Midface trauma with a nasal or facial fracture may be accompanied by epistaxis. Trauma to the nose can cause a septal hematoma; if treatment is delayed, this can lead to necrosis of septal cartilage and a resultant saddle-nose deformity. Other abnormalities that can cause a change in the shape of the nose and paranasal bones, with obstruction but few other symptoms, include fibro-osseus lesions (ossifying fibroma, fibrous dysplasia, cementifying fibroma) and mucoceles of the paranasal sinuses. These conditions may be suspected on physical examination and confirmed by CT scan and biopsy. Although these are considered benign lesions, they can all greatly change the anatomy of surrounding bony structures and often require surgical intervention for management.

369.1 Foreign Body

369.2 Epistaxis

Nosebleeds are rare in infancy and common in childhood. Their incidence decreases after puberty and rises again after age 50 yr. Diagnosis and treatment depend on the location and cause of the bleeding.

Etiology

Common causes of nosebleeds from the anterior septum include digital trauma, foreign bodies, dry air, and inflammation, including upper respiratory tract infections, sinusitis, and allergic rhinitis (Table 369-1). There is often a family history of childhood epistaxis. Nasal steroid sprays are commonly used in children, and their chronic use may be associated with bleeding. Young infants with significant gastroesophageal reflux into the nose rarely present with epistaxis secondary to mucosal inflammation. Susceptibility is increased during respiratory infections and in the winter when dry air irritates the nasal mucosa, resulting in formation of fissures and crusting. Severe bleeding may be encountered with congenital vascular abnormalities, such as hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (Chapter 426.3), varicosities, hemangiomas, and, in children with thrombocytopenia, deficiency of clotting factors, particularly von Willebrand disease, hypertension, renal failure, or venous congestion. Nasal polyps or other intranasal growths may be associated with epistaxis. Recurrent, and often severe, nosebleeds may be the initial presenting symptom in juvenile nasal angiofibromas, which occur in adolescent boys.

Treatment

Most nosebleeds stop spontaneously in a few minutes. The nares should be compressed and the child kept as quiet as possible, in an upright position with the head tilted forward to avoid blood trickling back into the throat. Cold compresses applied to the nose can also help. If these measures do not stop the bleeding, local application of a solution of oxymetazoline (Afrin or Neo-Synephrine) (0.25-1%) may be useful. If bleeding persists, an anterior nasal pack might need to be inserted; if bleeding originates in the posterior nasal cavity, combined anterior and posterior packing is necessary. After bleeding has been controlled, and if a bleeding site is identified, its obliteration by cautery with silver nitrate may prevent further difficulties. Because the septal cartilage derives its nutrition from the overlying mucoperichondrium, only 1 side of the septum should be cauterized at a time to reduce the chance of a septal perforation. During the winter, or in a dry environment, a room humidifier, saline drops, and petrolatum (Vaseline) applied to the septum can help to prevent epistaxis.

In patients with severe or repeated epistaxis, blood transfusions may be necessary. Otolaryngologic evaluation is indicated for these children and for those with bilateral bleeding or with hemorrhage that does not arise from the Kiesselbach plexus. Hematologic evaluation (for coagulopathy and anemia), along with nasal endoscopy and diagnostic imaging, may be needed to make a definitive diagnosis in cases of severe recurrent epistaxis. Replacement of deficient clotting factors may be required for patients who have an underlying hematologic disorder (Chapter 470). Profuse unilateral epistaxis associated with a nasal mass in an adolescent boy near puberty might signal a juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma. This unusual tumor has also been reported in a 2 yr old and in 30-40 yr olds, but the incidence peaks in adolescent and preadolescent boys. CT with contrast medium enhancement and MRI are part of the initial evaluation; arteriography, embolization, and extensive surgery may be needed.

Surgical intervention may also be needed for bleeding from the internal maxillary artery or other vessels that can cause bleeding in the posterior nasal cavity.