Intersession repeatability of acoustic rhinometry measurements in healthy volunteers

Objectives: Acoustic rhinometry is a rapid, reliable and non-invasive technique for the evaluation of conditions associated with impaired nasal patency. This study aimed to examine the intersession repeatability of acoustic rhinometry measurements of unilateral and combined nasal parameters in a group of healthy volunteers.

Methods: Twenty healthy volunteers were studied. In each subject, acoustic rhinometry measurements were performed on five consecutive days, with multiple recordings. Five clinically relevant parameters were measured in each session and the intersession repeatability of these measurements was expressed in terms of mean coefficient of variation, intraclass correlation coefficient and inter-item correlations.

Results: Intraclass correlation coefficients showed a high, and greater repeatability over time for all the combined (mean) values compared to the unilateral values. All intraclass correlations for combined values were ≥0.80 confirming almost perfect agreement. All intraclass correlations and inter-item correlations were associated with P<0.001. The mean coefficient of variation was low (<10%) for all but the proximal minimum cross sectional area (MCA1) measurements.

Conclusion: Acoustic rhinometry provides highly repeatable measurements of nasal patency, which is best for combined (mean) nasal parameters. This property makes it suitable for use in the diagnosis and follow-up of conditions associated with nasal obstruction, either structural or functional.