Enlarged Inferior Turbinate 1 [before decongestant application]

Enlargement of the inferior turbinate is a common cause of nasal obstruction. In most cases, the apparent enlargement is primarily due to vasodilatation of the submucosal erectile tissue. Dilatation of the mucosa of the inferior turbinate may be the result of an acute or chronic rhinitis, allergic rhinitis, or as the result of chronic use of topical nasal decongestants [rhinitis medicamentosa]. One of the simplest methods of differentiating between an apparently enlarged inferior turbinate due to rhinitis or a genuinely enlarged middle turbinate can be determined by the simple application of a topical nasal decongestant. This left inferior turbinate is in fact genuinely enlarged as will be seen after the application of a topical decongestant.