Surgical management of mucosal contact headache.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Most research on mucosal contact headache has focused on mucosal contact between the nasal septum and middle or inferior turbinate. However, rarely have any studies explored how headache is related to the only one contact point between superior turbinate and nasal septum. OBJECTIVE: To explore how headache is related to the only one contact point between superior turbinate and nasal septum. METHODS: 80 patients with headache were selected. The mucosal contact between superior turbinate and nasal septum was removed to study the relationship between the contact point and headache, with a follow-up of 12 months. RESULTS: Headache symptoms in 56 cases disappeared entirely. Significant relief was observed in 20 patients, and unsatisfactory results in only 4 patients, with the success rate being 95%. CONCLUSION: Some patients with headaches who had intranasal mucosal contact areas benefitted from the surgery. Satisfactory results were achieved by endonasal surgery in 95% of our patients in whom intranasal contact points were believed to be the cause of their headaches who had a mucosal contact point between the superior turbinate and the septum.