Can nasal septum deviation affect thoracoabdominal diaphragm? An ultrasonographic study

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of nasal septum deviation (NSD) on the thoracoabdominal diaphragm (TAD). Patients and Methods: This prospective study was conducted between December 2022 and January 2024. The TAD thickness of 51 patients with NSD (45 males, 6 females; mean age 25.7±9.5 years; range, 19 to 51 years) and 51 healthy controls (44 males, 7 females; mean age: 28.5±5.2 years; range, 19 to 47 years) were evaluated ultrasonographically. Thoracoabdominal diaphragm thickness was measured from the anterior axillary line on the right and left sides of the chest wall. Results: Compared to the control group, the mean height was higher and the mean weight and body mass index were lower in the NSD group (p<0.05). Eighty-eight percent of deviated individuals were male. Thoracoabdominal diaphragm thickness measured at the end of both inspiration and expiration was higher in the NSD group (p<0.001). However, the amount and percentage of interphase change of the TAD was lower in the NSD group than in the control group (p<0.001). Conclusion: The incidence of NSD is high in tall, thin, young men. We believe that the TAD was thicker in the NSD group compared to the control group due to hypertrophy of the diaphragm muscles, which contract more strongly to overcome respiratory distress.