Rhinotillexomania Manifesting as Empty Nose Syndrome
Creator
Tranchito Eve; Chhabra Nipun
Publisher
The Annals of Otology, Rhinology, and Laryngology
Date
2019
2019-08
Description
OBJECTIVES: To highlight a severe case of rhinotillexomania (compulsive nasal picking) and its potential to manifest as empty nose syndrome (ENS). METHODS: A single case report with the presentation and management of a patient with severe rhinotillexomania who presented with chronic obstructive symptoms. We review the current literature on rhinotillexomania and ENS. RESULTS: This patient's manifestations mimic the obstructive symptoms of ENS, despite widely patent nasal passages. CONCLUSION: This is the first report of rhinotillexomania manifesting with features of ENS.
Subject
digital trauma; empty nose syndrome; nasal septal perforation; nose picking; rhinotillexomania
OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To review current knowledge on nasal airflow sensation in relation to empty nose syndrome (ENS). STUDY DESIGN: PubMed searches. METHODS: Current literature pertaining to measurement of nasal patency, mechanism of sensory perception of nasal airflow, and ENS. RESULTS: A reliance on pure anatomical analysis of the anatomy in ENS falls short of explaining the disorder. Our understanding of subjective nasal sensation has advanced, as has our understanding of the flow of air through the nose. Neural healing following a surgical insult may not result in a return to a normal physiologic state. Aberrations in neurosensory systems from improper healing may play a major role in the abnormal sensations ENS patients experience. CONCLUSIONS: An evidence-based hypothesis for the development and symptoms of ENS is offered.