[The nasal valve. Part I. Anatomical and physiological nature, clinical manifestations of dysfunction and methods for its diagnostics].

In this article, the critical analysis of the available publications concerning anatomical and physiological nature of the nasal valve, clinical manifestations of its dysfunction, and diagnostic methods is presented. Various diagnostic tools are considered with special reference to the anatomical features of the nasal valve and mechanisms of its disorders. The study revealed contradictory opinions as regards the causes underlying valvular insufficiency and the necessity of the objective evaluation of nasal breathing in the patients with this pathology. The need of the search for the new methods of topical diagnostics of nasal valve dysfunction is substantiated.