The role of trigeminal function in the sensation of nasal obstruction in chronic rhinosinusitis

Objectives/HypothesisTrigeminal sensation (TS) within the nasal cavity is important for the perception of nasal airflow. The objective of this study is to examine whether impaired TS contributes to the sensation of nasal obstruction in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Study DesignProspective case-control study conducted in a tertiary referral rhinology clinic. MethodsCases consisted of CRS patients with subjective nasal obstruction, not previously treated with oral corticoids. Controls consisted of patients without CRS. Neither group demonstrated obvious anatomical obstructions. Both groups underwent peak nasal inspiratory flows (PNIF), olfactory testing (quick eight-item odor identification test), and trigeminal testing (lateralization task using eucalyptol and odorless solvent). ResultsA total of 28 subjects (14 CRS patients and 14 controls) were recruited. Analyses revealed no statistical differences in age (P = .93), gender (P = .47), or PNIF (P = .82) between the two groups, but they differed in Lund-Mackay scores (P < .001). There was no significant difference in olfactory testing (P = .15). CRS patients had significantly lower scores on trigeminal lateralization testing than controls (P = .007). Linear regression revealed that Lund-Mackay scores contributed a significant amount of variance to trigeminal lateralization scores, controlling for age and sex (F = 5.93, P = .004, R-2 = 0.43). ConclusionsThis is the first study to demonstrate that patients with CRS have lower TS than healthy controls. Our results suggest defective TS could play a role in the sensation of nasal obstruction in CRS. Level of Evidence3b. Laryngoscope, 126:E174-E178, 2016