| disease | Nasal Stone |
This disease is a rare condition of the nasal cavity, occurring only in adults.
bubble_chart Etiology
When there is an exogenous or endogenous foreign body in the nasal cavity, and inflammatory exudates such as nasal secretions and tears are concentrated and decomposed by airflow, inorganic salts deposit around this core, gradually enlarging over time to form a rhinolith. The deposited salts mainly include calcium phosphate, ammonium phosphate, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, sodium chloride, etc. Depending on the composition, the appearance may vary in color, such as yellow, gray, brown, or green. Rhinoliths formed around endogenous foreign bodies often lose their core over time due to degeneration, resulting in a coreless stone. The shape of a rhinolith is often irregular due to the spatial constraints of its location, with the inferior nasal meatus and nasal floor being common sites. The largest ones can extend into the maxillary sinus.
bubble_chart Clinical Manifestations
The onset is slow, with unilateral nasal obstruction that gradually worsens, increased nasal secretions, and sometimes bleeding, dizziness, and headache.
Using an anterior rhinoscope, purulent secretions in the nasal cavity are suctioned out, revealing a rough-surfaced, mulberry fruit-like or gravel-like hard substance, which may appear in mixed colors of yellow, gray, brown, or green. A probe can aid in diagnosis. Larger ones may compress the nasal septum, causing it to deviate to the opposite side or perforate. X-ray imaging can determine their size and shape.
bubble_chart Treatment Measures
Small nasal stones can be removed through the anterior nostril. Larger ones can be crushed and extracted with nasal forceps. For even larger nasal stones that cannot be removed through the anterior nostril, they can be extracted via an incision in the upper lip gingiva through the pear-shaped aperture, with a good prognosis.
