High incidence of posterior nasal cavity obstruction in obstructive sleep apnea patients

Background Nasal obstruction is a common problem in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Systematic evaluation of nasal obstruction remains challenging due to the high number of variables and factors that contribute to nasal obstruction. Nasal examination by means of anterior rhinoscopy is limited to the evaluation of anterior septal deviation, internal nasal valve angle, and inferior turbinate size, but obstruction due to posterior septal deviation and nasal polyposis may go undiagnosed. The primary objective of this study was to determine the incidence of posterior nasal obstruction in OSA patients. Specifically, we were interested in other causes of posterior nasal obstruction that were difficult to assess by anterior rhinoscopy examination alone, and that required nasal endoscopy for identification.