Uğur, Kadriye Şerife Fatih University - School of Medicine - Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Turkey , Vuran, Özlem Fatih University - School of Medicine - Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Turkey , Ark, Nebil Fatih University - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, TURKEY , Kurtaran, Hanifi Fatih University - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, TURKEY

Rhinolith: incidental finding during routine physical examination

33014

Rhinolith is the presence of nasal mass which is composed of calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, calcium phosphate and magnesium phosphate. Rhinoliths develop around organic or inorganic nidus having irregular or spongy surface that has stayed in the nasal cavity for a long time. Nidus arises in most of the cases from an exogenous origin such as fruit seeds, grains of vegetables and legumes, pieces of paper, button, bead, pieces of toy and finally pieces of stone and sand. They rarely arise from an endogenous nidus. Endogenous nidus generally consists of mislocated tooth, pieces of bone, blood cloth, dried purulent secretion or desquamated epithelium. The dimensions of rhinoliths can be small or can fill the nasal cavity. Rinolith cases are rare and patients frequently complain of longstanding nasal obstruction, nasal and oral malodor, purulent rhinorrhea and chronic headache. But sometimes patients with rhinolith are coincidentally diagnosed during routine physical examination. Early diagnosis is essential to reduce the morbidity. In this case report we present a 45 year old female rhinolith case. Her computerized tomography and nasal endoscopy findings, differential diagnosis and management are also presented. Our aim in this case report was to remind rhinolith in the differential diagnosis of nasal cavity masses and emphasize the importance of routine otorhinolaryngological examination even if the patient has no complaints.

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Rhinolith

Cumhuriyet Medical Journal

92