The nose and sinuses condition (septal perforation)

Septal perforation

There are several reasons why a patients's septum may be perforated.
These include:

• Trauma or accident
• Post septal surgery
• Nose picking
• Granulomatous disease- must be excluded before treating perforation.

1. wegener's
2. sarcoidosis
3. TB
4. syphilis

• Cocaine addiction

Signs and symptoms

• whistling - if there is a small anterior perforation.
• bleeding from the nose
• crusting of the nose at the site of the perforation.

Treatment

• apply vaseline to the edge of the perforation
• treat epistaxis expectantly.
• septal button- this is a plastic prosthesis fitted into the hole in the septum. only half the patients find it tolerable and continue using it long term.
• surgical septum repair- the results of surgery are variable even in experienced hands.