Assessment of Rigid Nasopharyngoscopy Beyond the Nasal Cavity in Diagnosis of Immune-mediated Nasopharyngeal Allergic Diseases

Hongbo  Wang; Panru  Zhu; Jiangqiao  Geng; Pin  Yu; Jiejing  Dong

doi:10.18502/ijaai.v25i2.20796

Hongbo Wang Department of Otolaryngology, Hebei Children's Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
Panru Zhu Hebei Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disease, Hebei Provincial Medical Key Discipline, Shijiazhuang, China
Jiangqiao Geng Department of Otolaryngology, Hebei Children's Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
Pin Yu Department of Otolaryngology, Hebei Children's Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
Jiejing Dong Hebei Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disease, Hebei Provincial Medical Key Discipline, Shijiazhuang, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijaai.v25i2.20796

Keywords: Allergic; Allergic rhinitis; Autoimmune diseases; Endoscopy; Nasopharyngoscopy rhinitis; Perennial, Rhinitis allergic seasonal

Abstract

Rigid nasopharyngoscopy is a valuable diagnostic method for immune-mediated allergy conditions, particularly for children aged≤6 years. In addition to evaluating the structural characteristics of the nasal cavity, the procedure also reveals inflammatory activity in the nasopharyngeal framework.

This study assessed 110 pediatric patients between 2 and 6 years old who presented with suspected allergic conditions. Rigid nasopharyngoscopy was performed, and its diagnostic performance was high with 85.45% sensitivity, 78.18% specificity, and an overall diagnostic accuracy of 83.00%, which supports its role in diagnosing and ruling out allergic disorders.

The findings revealed strong associations between mucosal erythema, cobblestoning, and mucosal secretions with symptoms like nasal obstruction and postnasal drip. These signs have proven to be reliable indicators of inflammation and chronic irritation in this age group. The procedure was well tolerated, and over 85% of children experienced no adverse effects.

Minor discomfort and nasal bleeding were reported in a small number of cases. Taken together, the results show that rigid nasopharyngoscopy is an essential diagnostic modality for early detection of allergy conditions in the pediatric population.