A comparison of the effects of xylometazoline on nasal airflow, and on blood flux as measured by laser Doppler flowmetry.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether changes in mucosal blood flow measured directly by laser Doppler flowmetry corresponded to changes in turbinate blood volume measured indirectly as changes in nasal airflow. Fifteen healthy subjects underwent active anterior rhinomanometry and laser Doppler flowmetry prior to and following the topical application of 100 micrograms of xylometazoline to each nostril. A significant decrease in nasal resistance occurred in the probe nostril (p less than 0.001) and the non probe nostril (p less than 0.005) following xylometazoline. A significant fall in blood flux occurred with xylometazoline (p less than 0.05). There was no correlation between the percentage change in airflow (rhinomanometry) and the percentage change in blood flux (laser Doppler) following xylometazoline. These results suggest that laser flowmetry and rhinomanometry measure different parts of the inferior turbinate vascular bed.