symptoms of cancerous transformation of a deviated nasal septum

Written by Zhang Jun
Otolaryngology
Updated on November 23, 2024
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A deviated nasal septum does not lead to cancerous changes in patients. It's a condition involving a bony deviation and is a common and frequent disorder in the field of otolaryngology. Generally, a deviated nasal septum occurs due to abnormal development of the nasal septum during the embryonic stage or from subsequent trauma to the nasal septum or tumors in the nasal cavity, causing local pressure and deviation to one or both sides of the septum. Following a septal deviation, patients may experience persistent nasal congestion, accompanied by nasal discharge, facial pain, and headaches. A deviated nasal septum can also trigger the occurrence of nasal polyps and sinusitis, but it does not lead to local cancerous changes. If a patient's symptoms are mild, special treatment is generally unnecessary. However, if clinical symptoms appear, corrective surgery for the deviated nasal septum can completely cure the condition.

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Written by Li Mao Cai
Otolaryngology
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Does a deviated nasal septum need to be treated?

Deviated nasal septum is a common clinical occurrence in otolaryngology, and many people are told they have a deviated septum during a physical examination, or they feel uncomfortable with their nose and then find out they have a deviated septum when checking. Whether to treat these conditions depends on the specific circumstances. If there is no discomfort in the nose, breathing is normal, the sense of smell is unaffected, and there are no other clinical symptoms, surgery is unnecessary for a deviated septum discovered during a physical examination. However, if there are uncomfortable symptoms caused by the nasal cavity or deviated septum, and after examination, the doctor confirms that these are due to the deviated septum, then active surgical treatment is necessary. Only by correcting the deviated part can a satisfactory treatment outcome be achieved.

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Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
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Can nasal septum deviation be treated under general anesthesia?

Nasal septum deviation refers to the deviation of the cartilage and bone tissue of the nasal septum towards one or both nasal passages, causing symptoms such as nasal congestion, blood-tinged nasal discharge or nosebleeds, and headaches. After the deviation of the nasal septum, nasal congestion can cause symptoms of snoring. Surgery for nasal septum deviation or other operations can be performed under general anesthesia. The deviated nasal septum does not affect the state of anesthesia. However, due to the presence of a deviated nasal septum, oral intubation should be chosen instead of nasal intubation during general anesthesia. If nasal intubation is desired, it should be performed on the side with a wider nasal passage. Thus, attention should be paid to the choice of intubation location during surgery under general anesthesia.

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Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
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What are the symptoms of a deviated nasal septum?

Nasal septum deviation refers to the condition where the cartilaginous and bony tissue of the nasal septum leans to one side, affecting one or both nasal cavities. Clinically, it primarily presents as nasal congestion. This congestion is unilateral and persistent, or it can be persistent on both sides. Additionally, nosebleeds occur because the mucous membrane on the deviated side is very thin, making it susceptible to bleeding due to friction from the airflow during breathing. Furthermore, the deviated nasal septum can irritate the turbinates, leading to nerve reflex pain and resulting in headaches. Thus, the main symptoms of nasal septum deviation include the ones listed above.

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Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
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The main reason that a deviated septum causes headaches

In clinical practice, a deviated nasal septum can be structural, which often leads to symptoms such as nasal congestion, nosebleeds, and headaches. There are primarily two reasons why a deviated nasal septum may cause headaches. First, the deviated septum directly irritates the middle turbinate, leading to anterior ethmoid nerve syndrome and severe headaches. Second, the deviated septum may lead to secondary conditions such as rhinitis or sinusitis, which also cause headaches. Therefore, in clinical practice, surgical intervention is needed to correct a deviated nasal septum causing headaches. Before surgery, a CT scan is usually conducted to rule out sinusitis or other diseases causing the headaches. However, it is important to inform patients preoperatively that even after the surgery, headaches caused by the deviated septum may not be completely relieved or eliminated. This is crucial information to communicate to patients before the procedure.

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Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
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Is the deviation of the nasal septum severe?

Deviated nasal septum is generally not too severe. Overall, its harm to health is not significant. Whether a deviated nasal septum is serious depends on individual differences, and one should primarily examine the specific condition inside the nasal cavity. If the degree of deviation is not severe and there are no clinical manifestations, it generally does not require specific treatment, mainly regular reviews to observe any changes. However, if the deviation is quite pronounced and accompanied by clinical symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nasal congestion, or nosebleeds, it may be necessary to consider surgical correction. Currently, the main approach is minimally invasive surgery using an endoscope, and the overall results are quite definitive.