Rhinolithiasis: A review

doi:10.1016/0030-4220(88)90012-6

Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology

Volume 65, Issue 6, June 1988, Pages 693-698

Oral Surgery, Oral M...

https://doi.org/10.1016/0030-4220(88)90012-6 Get rights and content

Abstract

A rhinolith is an object that has become lodged in the nose and has slowly calcified. It is seen on dental radiographs as a radiopaque object in the nasal fossa and may be confused with several pathologic entities that call for more invasive surgical procedures. A history of unilateral nasal stuffness, obstruction, and discharge is common but not always present. Two clinically diverse cases are presented.

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Cited by (56)

Rhinolith: Examining the clinical, radiological and surgical features of 23 cases
2019, Auris Nasus Larynx
Rhinolith is a hard nasal mass formed in time by the mineral salts around an endogenous or exogenous-originating nidus. Rhinolith, which is seen rarely, has been reported in the literature as case reports. In this study, we are presenting the demographic and clinical features together with accompanying sinonasal pathologies of 23 rhinolith cases.
The medical records and radiological findings of 23 cases, who were operated for rhinolith between January 2010 and June 2018 in Tokat State Hospital, were analyzed retrospectively. The age, gender, the side where rhinolith exists, nidus presence, type of surgery and sinonasal pathologies that accompany rhinolith, and accompanying secondary sinonasal surgeries were examined.
A total of 17 (73.2%) of the 23 cases were female, and 6 (26.8%) were male. The mean age was 24.9 years. The symptoms that were seen in the patients were nasal obstruction (100%), rhinorrhea (82.6%), nasal malodor (78.2%), oral malodor (26%), headache (26%), epistaxis (17.3%), face pain (4,3%), respectively. Nidus could be detected in 6 patients. The most frequent localization of rhinolith was between the inferior concha and the nasal septum (n = 21). The most common concomitant sinonasal pathology in rhinolith was septum deviation (43.4%); and the second most common pathology was mucosal thickening (30.4%) in the maxillary sinus. The surgery type that accompanied rhinolith at the highest frequency was septoplasty (n = 5). Other surgeries were septorhinoplasty (n = 1), antrochoanal polyp excision (n = 1), adenoidectomy (n = 1).
The most common symptoms of rhinolith, which is a rare nasal pathology, are nasal obstruction and rhinorrhea. Radiological imaging together with a rigid endoscopy is important especially to evaluate the placement of rhinolith. In addition to this, radiological imaging, evaluation of the sinuses that are not sufficiently evaluated with rigid endoscope are important for planning the type of the operation and secondary surgical procedures which may accompany.
Giant rhinolith: A case report
2017, Egyptian Journal of Ear, Nose, Throat and Allied Sciences
Citation Excerpt :
Foreign bodies normally access the site anteriorly, but they may occasionally reach into the nasal cavity through the choana by cough or vomiting (see Fig. 5). The presence of foreign bodies cause local inflammatory reaction, leading to deposits of carbonate and calcium phosphate, magnesium, iron and aluminum, in addition to organic substances such as glutamic acid and glycin, leading to slow and progressive increase in size.3,4 It is often asymptomatic.
Rhinolith is a stone that form in the nose. It is an uncommon disease that may present asymptomatically. It is usually occur secondary to retained foreign bodies. Sometimes, it can be cause by fungal infection. It can be seen on radiographs as a radiopaque object in the nasal fossa and may be confused with several pathologic entities that will call for more invasive surgical procedures. Here we present a case of giant rhinolith possibly arising from retained foreign body, and discuss its clinical and radiologic features.
Clinical and radiological aspects of rhinoliths: Report of five cases
2013, Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology
Rhinoliths are calcified masses in the nasal cavity caused by the deposition of nasal, lacrimal, and inflammatory mineral salts by accretion around an endogenous or exogenous nidus. Rhinoliths can be seen as incidental findings on panoramic radiography, although they typically appear blurred due to remaining outside the focus. Therefore, rhinoliths may be difficult to recognize; this difficulty can lead to misdiagnosis. Computed tomography (CT)/cone beam CT (CBCT) scans are generally necessary to define the precise location and to make a differential diagnosis.
This article describes radiologic features of five cases of rhinoliths that were detected incidentally on panoramic radiographs. CT or CBCT images were obtained before removing the rhinoliths.
A simple surgical approach for management of the rhinoliths: Case report
2011, Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Rhinolithiasis misdiagnosed as intranasal osteoma: Diagnostic challenges in the telehealth era
2023, SAGE Open Medical Case Reports
Rhinolith — diagnosis and treatment features
2023, Vestnik Otorinolaringologii

View all citing articles on Scopus

^∗: Associate Professor, Oral Medicine; Director, Oral Medicine Clinic.

^∗∗: Instructor, Oral Diagnosis. Department of Oral Diagnosis, Radiology, and Pathology,

^∗∗∗: Visiting Professor, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

View full text

Rhinolithiasis: A review

Abstract

Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol

Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol

J Am Dent Assoc

The ear, nose, and throat diseases of children

On rhinoliths

J Laryngol Otol

Differential diagnosis of oral lesions

Principles and practice of oral radiologic interpretation

Unsuspected rhinolith

Can Dent Assoc J

Rhinolith: unusual appearance on panoramic radiograph

J Oral Surg

Rhinolith simulating osseous lesion: report of case

J Oral Surg

Unusual fissural cysts and an odd mesiodens

Rev Stomatol Chir Maxillofac

Case of a large rhinolith simulating tumor

Zh Ushn Nos Gorl Bolezn

Asymptomatic rhinolith: a brief review of the literature and case report

Laryngoscope

Asymptomatic rhinolith in rhinoplasty: case report

Plast Reconstr Surg

Rhinolith perforating the hard palate

J Laryngol Otol

Bilateral rhinolithiasis

Ear Nose Throat J

Rhinolith

J Oral Surg

Perforation of the hard palate by a rhinolith and its repair

J Laryngol Otol

Rhinolithiasis

J Laryngol Otol

A rhinolith perforating the hard palate

J Ir Dent Assoc

Rhinolithiasis and maxillary antrolithiasis

Ear Nose Throat J

Crystallographic study of rhinolith

J Laryngol Otol

A giant rhinolith

Larynhoscope

A rhinolith presenting in the palate

Br J Oral Surg

Misdiagnosis of the rhinolith

Laryngol Rhinol Otol (Stuttg)

Rhinolithiasis. A report of two cases

Radiology

Rhinolith in a case of choanal occlusion

J Laryngol Otol

Bilateral rhinolithiasis

Clin Otolaryngol

Bemerkenswertes über Rhinolithen

HNO

Rhinolith perforating the har palate

J Laryngol Otol

Two symptomless rhinoliths

J Laryngol Otol

Rhinolith

Am J Roentgenol