Author(s)
Candace M. Waters, MD
Julia Kimbell, PhD
Amy Oldenburg, PhD
Ruofei Bu, MS
Santosh Balakrishnan, BE
Saikat Basu, PhD
Meghan Norris, MS
Wesley Stepp, PhD
Bryan Brandon, MD
William W. Shockley, MD
J. Madison Clark, MD, FACS
Affiliation(s)
UNC School of Medicine
Abstract:
Educational Objective: At the conclusion of this presentation, the participants should be able to 1) describe aOCT and its application to the nasal valve; and 2) understand the static changes that accompany placement of a butterfly graft and spreader grafts for nasal valve stenosis. Objectives: To determine the fidelity of aOCT in evaluation of static changes within the internal nasal valve. Study Design: Anatomic cadaver study. Methods: Fresh harvested cadaveric heads were evaluated using both standard CT imaging as well as using aOCT technology. Scans were performed at 3 time points 1) after septoplasty for cartilage harvest; 2) after placement of a butterfly graft to widen the internal nasal valve; and 3) after placement of bilateral spreader grafts (butterfly grafts removed). Results: Scans using aOCT showed comparable results to CT imaging of the internal nasal valve in terms of overall volume and ability to detect change in internal valve diameter after placement of butterfly graft and spreader grafting. Flow rates obtained using computational flow dynamics (CFD) were similar between the two imaging modalities. In addition, aOCT imaging showed good internal reliability when scans were performed in the same head multiple times. Conclusions: The internal nasal valve can be imaged in a static fashion using aOCT technology. Advantages over traditional CT imaging include lack of exposure to radiation, rapid scan time, and the possibility of in-office use as the technology develops. Further investigations will show its potential role for dynamic evaluation of this vital component of the nasal airway.