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Volume: 27 - Issue: 2

First page: 113 - Last page: 118

R. Mladina - Z. Krajina

DOI: 10.4193/Rhin10.4193/Rhin89.206

The aim of the paper was to confirm the variations in the length of the caudal process
and its relationship to the skull shape (occipitopetal orfrontopetal) in various pathological
septal deformities according to Mladina's classification.
The length of the caudal process was measured during septal surgery in a group of 46
Patients suffering from nasal obstructions caused by septal deformities. Measurements
were made with an indirect method: the distance between the lower anterior rim
of the pyriform aperture and the deepest point ofthe caudal process, which could still
be surgically prepared, was taken as a function of its length (so called X-value).
To establish the skull shape lateral cranial X-rays were made for each patient.
Certain types of septal deformities were found to be more frequent in patients with
longer caudal processes (type 2 and 5), than in cases when they were shorter (type I
and 6).
Twentyseven out of 46 patients were found to have frontopetal skulls, and X values
were smaller than 3 cm. The occipitopetal skull shape was found in 19 patients whose
values exceeded 3 cm.
Caudal process and the skull shape, therefore, may affect development of particular
types of septal deformities.
Even more, it can be presumed that the septal response to trauma will depend upon
some of these factors.

Rhinology 27-2: 113-118, 1989