CONGENITAL BONY NASAL CAVITY DEFORMITIES

Although the most common form of nasal obstruction in neonates is soft tissue edema, congenital bony nasal deformities are being recognized as an important cause of newborn airway obstruction. In addition to th e well described choanal atresia, CT imaging of the newborn in respira tory distress reveals two other forms of bony nasal cavity deformities : nasal pyriform aperture stenosis and nasal cavity stenosis. All of t he three types of bony nasal cavity deformities have characteristic an atomical features, are associated with distinctive congenital anomalie s, and are postulated to have differing embryological causes. Five pat ients with congenital bony nasal cavity deformities ave presented. The se cases illustrate the clinical and radiological presentation of vari ed types of congenital nasal cavity obstruction as well as the criteri a used to guide clinical management.