Definition of Perforation, nasal septum

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Perforation, nasal septum: A hole in the nasal septum, the wall inside the nose that runs down the middle dividing it into two sides. The hole provides a direct communication between the two normally-separate sides of the nose.

Perforation of the nasal septum can be due to trauma (such as a blow to the nose, picking the nose, etc), drug abuse (as, for example, cocaine), an abscess, or certain diseases (for example, Lupus, Wegener's granulomatosis or other autoimmune diseases).

The signs and symptoms of nasal septum perforation include crusting within the nose, bleeding and discharge from the nose and, most dramatically, whistling on inspiration (caused by air whistling through the perforation).

Treatment is by surgical closure of the perforation (a procedure that frequently fails) or by the insertion of a specially designed septal button in the hole.