Morphometric Analysis of Nasal Turbinate Hypertrophy in Patients with Allergic Rhinitis at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital

Inferior turbinate hypertrophy is the predominant structural consequence of chronic allergic rhinitis, resulting in nasal obstruction, sleep-disordered breathing, and impaired quality of life. Endoscopic and radiological assessment of turbinate dimensions provides objective data for treatment planning, including medical therapy, turbinoplasty, and submucosal diathermy. Normative turbinate morphometric data for Nigerian patients are unavailable, limiting the precision of endoscopic comparisons between healthy and hypertrophied turbinates. This study aims to perform morphometric analysis of inferior turbinate dimensions in patients with confirmed allergic rhinitis compared with healthy controls at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, South West Nigeria. Three-dimensional endoscopic turbinate measurements, including mucosal surface area and anterior-posterior turbinate length, will be obtained during nasal endoscopy. Computed tomography scans of the nasal cavity will provide additional measurements of turbinate cross-sectional area and bony core dimensions. Findings will be compared with control subjects and correlated with nasal airway resistance measured by active anterior rhinomanometry. The study anticipates establishing objective turbinate morphometric criteria for inferior turbinate hypertrophy in the South West Nigerian population, supporting evidence-based indications for surgical turbinate reduction.

Keywords: inferior turbinate, allergic rhinitis, nasal morphometry, endoscopy, Ile-Ife