Endonasal endoscopy and posterior epistaxis.

The availability of a comprehensive range of endonasal telescopes facilitates systematic examination of the nasal cavity. Epistaxis is normally divided into anterior and posterior. Posterior epistaxis is diagnosed when anterior rhinoscopy fails to visualize anterior-located bleeding points. With the aid of endonasal endoscopy the exact location of bleeding points can be identified and diathermy applied under direct vision. Twenty-seven cases of the so-called posterior epistaxis were treated successfully by endonasal endoscopy. The technique is particularly useful during acute nose bleeds, it shortens hospital stay, and reduces the discomfort inflicted by the presence of nasal packing. The need for blood transfusion is reduced by using endonasal endoscopy in the acute stage of epistaxis.