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.