AGING OF THE NORMAL NOSE IN ADULTS

Like other organs, the nose changes as the body ages. A review of the literature reveals a basic understanding of the aging process in the n ose but a paucity of documentation and few organized studies. This stu dy was designed to identify systematically the age-related changes in the normal, nondiseased adult nose. A nasal-sinus laboratory was creat ed, and a computerized patient database was developed. Four separate i nvestigations were conducted. First, 111 subjects ranging in age from 21 to 94 years of age were studied prospectively using 135 variables. The following data were collected: history, symptoms, physical examina tion, rhinomanometry, ciliary beat frequency, smell testing, and incen tive spirometry. Second, photographs of a separate group of 105 subjec ts 20 to 86 years of age were studied to ascertain the facial cephalom etric changes that occur with aging. Third, a histopathologic examinat ion of the nasal septum was performed in 20 additional subjects to eva luate the cellular changes that accompany aging. Finally, an epidemiol ogic study analyzing the prevalence of various nasal complaints by age was conducted, based on a review of more than 11,000 patient charts f rom surgeries and office visits. A number of specific age-related chan ges in the nose were identified, including an increased likelihood of certain nasal complaints, a pattern of increasing airflow resistance, and a decrease in physical abnormalities in the nasopharynx. The appea rance of the nose, as measured by the nasolabial angle and the height/ length ratio, was also found to change with age.