Abstract
The color of nasal mucosa and the physico-chemical properties of nasal secretion may be affected in pathological change of the paranasal sinus such as chronic sinusitis.
Therefore, analysis of physico-chemical properties of nasal secretion and objective indication of the color of nasal mucosa are important in either establishing diagnosis or deciding treatment.
With 12 normal adults and 43 patients who were suffered from nasal allergy and chronic sinusitis, color analysis of nasal mucosa was done using a new equipment that was specially designed by me as oxymeter.
Additionally, viscosity of nasal secretion by a falling ball viscometer, and pH value, amount of Ca, Na, K, mucopolysaccaride and protein in their nasal secretion were studied.
The results which thus obtained were follows.
1) Color of nasal mucosa was different in each phase of pathological situation.
2) Viscosity was found to be much more higher in the muco-purulent secretion than the others, and it was closely correlated with amount of Ca and protein.
3) In purulent secretion, more increased amount of K, mucopolysaccaride and protein were observed clearly than the others.
In addition, there were a liner relationship between decrease of pH and increase of K.
From these findings, clinical significance of physicochemical characteristics of nasal secretion and color of the nasal mucosa was briefly discussed.
