Computational Fluid Dynamic Modeling Reveals Nonlinear Airway Stress during Trachea Development.

Normative trachea dimensions and aerodynamic information during development was collected to establish clinical benchmarks and showed that airway development seems to outpace respiratory demands. Infants and toddlers' trachea exhibit higher aerodynamic stress that significantly decreases by teenage years. This implies large airway pathology in younger children may have a more substantial clinical impact.

The cotton test redistributes nasal airflow in patients with empty nose syndrome.

Background: Empty nose syndrome (ENS) remains a controversial disease primarily associated with inferior turbinate tissue loss. Cotton placement into the inferior meatus often alleviates ENS symptoms within minutes, but the physiologic explanation for this phenomenon is unknown. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was employed to evaluate the mechanisms of altered nasal airflow conferred by cotton testing.

Computational fluid dynamic analysis of aggressive turbinate reductions: is it a culprit of empty nose syndrome?

Background: Empty nose syndrome (ENS) remains highly controversial, with aggressive inferior turbinate reduction (ITR) or mucociliary dysfunction frequently implicated. However, the appropriate degree of ITR is highly debatable.

Methods: We applied individual computed tomography (CT)-based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to 5 patients receiving relatively aggressive ITR but with no ENS symptoms, and compared them to 27 symptomatic ENS patients who all had histories of aggressive ITRs, and 42 healthy controls.

Investigation of the abnormal nasal aerodynamics and trigeminal functions among empty nose syndrome patients.

Background: Abnormal nasal aerodynamics or trigeminal functions have been frequently implicated in the symptomology of empty nose syndrome (ENS), yet with limited evidence.

Methods: Individual computed tomography (CT)-based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was applied to 27 ENS patients to simulate their nasal aerodynamics and compared with 42 healthy controls. Patients' symptoms were confirmed with Empty Nose Syndrome 6-item Questionnaire (ENS6Q), 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22), and Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scores.