A Prospective Study of Nasal Septal Deformities in Kashmiri Population Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital

The aim of this study is to determine the percentage of septal deformities in symptomatic patients in Kashmiri population, identified at otolaryngology clinic of a referral & a teaching tertiary care hospital SKIMS Medical College, Bemina, Srinagar, where 429 patients with nasal septal deviation were identified. All of the patients underwent nasal examination by anterior rhinoscope and nasal endoscopy. Pathological septal deformities were identified & grouped into five types by using SL classification. The frequency of nasal septal deformation has been found to be 151 (35.19%) in males and 278 (64.80%) in females .The age incidence showed that most of the patients between second and fifth decades. The distribution of the five types of septal deformity was 19%, 3.5%, 10.48%, 6.75%, 0.93% & Combinations 60.10% (9.3%, 20.97%, 8.39% and 21.44%) respectively. The most common presentation in overall patients were nasal obstruction 80% and headache 50%. Nasal septal deviation was more prevalent in females. Nasal obstruction was the most common presenting complaint in all over types of nasal septal deviation. So, early diagnosis and intervention can avoid the related complications and thus help normal life and learning.