Surgical Outcomes of Nasal Septal Hematoma: A 15-Year Single-Center Experience

Önder K., Savaş Ö., Yıldırım B., Çakır Çetin A.

iFOS 2026 – XXIII World Congress of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, İstanbul, Türkiye, 9 - 13 Eylül 2026, ss.0-1, (Özet Bildiri)

  • Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Özet Bildiri
  • Basıldığı Şehir: İstanbul
  • Basıldığı Ülke: Türkiye
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.0-1
  • Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Objective: Nasal septal hematoma (NSH) is a rare otolaryngologic emergency that may cause septal abscess, cartilage necrosis, and long-term functional or cosmetic morbidity when diagnosis is delayed. This study evaluated the clinical characteristics, management, complications, and surgical outcomes of NSH over a 15-year period.

Methods: Medical records of 24 patients who underwent surgical drainage for NSH between January 2010 and December 2024 were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic data, etiology, time to presentation, treatment technique, complications, follow-up findings, and selected nasal-related items of the validated Turkish Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22) in patients aged 13 years and older were analyzed.

Results: Seventeen patients were male (70.8%), and seven were female (29.2%); the mean age was 31.9 years (range, 1–82 years). Trauma was the leading etiology (58.3%), followed by iatrogenic causes (25.0%) and upper respiratory tract infection (16.7%). Presentation-delay analysis was available for 22 patients; 10 (45.5%) presented after 48 hours. No recurrence occurred after surgical drainage. Culture-positive septal abscess was identified in six evaluable patients, and long-term follow-up complications were recorded in five. Selected SNOT-22 nasal-related scores decreased numerically from 12.4 to 9.7 in patients with paired data (n=9), but the change was not statistically significant (p=0.199). Delayed presentation showed numerically higher rates of long-term complications and culture-positive septal abscess, but the differences were not statistically significant.

Conclusion: NSH requires early recognition and prompt surgical drainage. Presentation beyond 48 hours may increase morbidity, whereas timely surgical management provides favorable long-term functional outcomes.

Keywords: Nasal septal hematoma, Septal abscess, Surgical drainage, Postoperative complications, Treatment outcome