Sir,
Ultrasonography of upper airway has evolved in recent years but there is no mention of any technique for nasal ultrasonography to determine the nasal patency. Although a case was reported by Shah et al., there was no mention of the type of ultrasound probe and the position of the probe during ultrasonography.[1] In the present study, we describe a novel technique for an ultrasound of the nose with the help of the “hockey stick” probe (HSP) to obtain exact image during a routine examination in human volunteers. The small-footprint linear array transducer is also called a hockey-stick transducer and has a higher frequency compared with other transducers.[2] This transducer is used for evaluating small superficial structures as it has better image resolution.[2] It is not used for deeper structures because of its small field of view and limited depth penetration. The position of the probe and parts of the nasal cavity during ultrasonography using HSP is shown in Figures 1 and 2. This technique can be helpful for selecting correct nostril for nasotracheal intubation and nasogastric tube insertion. Thus, we have found HSP to be more effective for obtaining better quality image than the linear probe for point-of-care nasal ultrasonography. It can also help to diagnose deviated nasal septum in patients who should not be exposed to radiation.[3,4]
Figure 1.
Figure depicting the position of “hockey stick” probe for the nasal ultrasound and the corresponding image
Figure 2.
Figure depicting the ultrasound visualized nasal anatomy
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
References
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