Overview
Nasal endoscopy, also called rhinoscopy, is a test that lets a healthcare professional look inside your nose and the area behind your nose. The test uses a thin tube called an endoscope. You also may hear it called a rhinoscope. The endoscope may be rigid or flexible. Some endoscopes have a light and camera on the end that can show the inside of your nose on a screen.
A nasal endoscopy may feel uncomfortable, but it should not hurt. Your care team may use a numbing spray before the test to help ease discomfort.
Nasal endoscopy can help find the cause of symptoms, diagnose some conditions and guide the next steps in your care.
Types
Your care team can do nasal endoscopy with different tools. The type used may depend on why you're having the exam, which areas need to be checked and other factors.
- Rigid nasal endoscopy. This type uses a firm, straight endoscope. It gives a detailed view of the nasal cavity, including areas farther back in the nose. A rigid endoscope also lets a healthcare professional use other instruments during the exam, such as when a sample is needed for a culture or biopsy.
- Flexible nasal endoscopy. This type uses an endoscope that bends more easily. It can pass through the nose to look at the area behind the nose and parts of the throat. Flexible scopes may be used for young children and for people who may have trouble staying still during the exam.
Other terms you may hear:
- Rhinoscope. A rhinoscope is a tube used during nasal exams. A nasal endoscope is a type of rhinoscope.
- Rhinoscopy. This is an exam of the nasal passages with a rhinoscope. Nasal endoscopy is a type of rhinoscopy.
- Nasoscope. This is another name for a rhinoscope.
- Nasopharyngoscope. This is a flexible nasal endoscope used to look at the area that sits behind the nose and above the back of the throat, also called the nasopharynx.
Why it's done
Nasal endoscopy may be done to help:
- Get a better view of areas inside and near the nose. Nasal endoscopy can give a clearer view of areas that are hard to see during a routine exam. This may help check for some conditions, such as tumors inside the nose or sinuses. The test also can help check for skull base tumors, which occur in the area between the brain and nasal passages.
- Find the cause of symptoms that affect the nose, sinuses or the area behind the nose, also called the nasopharynx. Symptoms may include blocked nasal breathing, nosebleeds, facial pain or headache, ongoing nasal drainage, and a reduced or lost sense of smell.
- Collect a tissue or fluid sample. Nasal endoscopy also may be used to help collect a sample of mucus, fluid or tissue. A culture can check for infection. A biopsy can check tissue for disease.
- Plan care before surgery. Nasal endoscopy may be part of a checkup before surgery, such as surgery for certain tumors in the nose or sinuses. Some tumors in these areas may be treated with surgery done through the nose. This is called an endoscopic endonasal approach.
- Monitor a condition after surgery or treatment. Nasal endoscopy may be used to check healing after surgery done through the nose. It also may be used for follow-up after treatment for certain tumors in or near the nose, sinuses, nasopharynx or skull base.
Nasal endoscopy can help detect:
Nasal endoscopy is used to examine, diagnose or monitor symptoms and conditions. It is not the same as therapeutic nasal endoscopy or endoscopic sinus procedures, which are done to treat conditions.
Nasal endoscopy is different from a transnasal esophagoscopy too. A transnasal esophagoscopy is a test that may be used to find damage in the esophagus, such as damage caused by acid reflux.
Nasal endoscopy also is different from upper endoscopy, a test that may be used to detect conditions of the esophagus, such as esophageal cancer.
Risks
Nasal endoscopy is generally a low-risk test. Some people feel pressure or discomfort, but nasal endoscopy should not be painful. Your care team may use a numbing spray before the test to help limit discomfort.
Possible risks or side effects include:
- Nosebleed. Your nose may bleed for a short time after nasal endoscopy.
- Numbness. If a numbing spray is used, your throat may feel numb for a short time.
- Irritation or injury inside the nose. A rigid endoscope, for example, can cause injury inside the nose if you have trouble staying still during the exam.
- New nasal or facial pain. Some people may have new pain in the nose or face for a few minutes after the test.
- Fainting or lightheadedness. Some people may feel faint.
What you can expect
Nasal endoscopy usually is done while you're awake during an office or clinic visit. It often takes only a few minutes.
Nasal endoscopy is often done by an ear, nose and throat specialist, also called an otolaryngologist. Other healthcare professionals, such as speech language pathologists and pulmonologists, may do nasal endoscopy too.
For some children, nasal endoscopy is done under general anesthesia, which uses a combination of medicines to bring on a sleeplike state. Talk with your healthcare professional about how to prepare and what to expect if your child has general anesthesia.
Tell your health professional ahead of time if you take blood thinners. Do not stop taking them unless your health professional tells you to.
Before the test
Before the test, your health professional may ask about your symptoms, medical history, medicines and allergies.
About five minutes before the endoscope is placed in your nose, a health professional may spray your nose with a decongestant and a topical anesthetic. A decongestant helps open the nasal passages. A topical anesthetic, such as lidocaine or tetracaine, helps numb the area.
During the test
You may sit upright during nasal endoscopy. A health professional gently places the endoscope into your nose. In terms of how far the endoscope goes into your nose, it may pass along the floor of your nose. It also may move through your nose so the care team can view parts of the throat and the area behind the nose.
You may feel pressure or discomfort, but you should not feel pain. The team may use more anesthetic if you're uncomfortable. You also may have watery eyes or feel like you need to sneeze. Tell your health professional if you feel like you might sneeze.
Your health professional may collect a fluid or tissue sample during the test. A mucus sample may be sent for a culture to check for infection. A tissue sample, collected through a biopsy, may be sent to diagnose and classify a tumor.
After the test
You may have some bleeding from your nose or new pain in your nose or face after nasal endoscopy. Call your health professional if you have bleeding that does not stop, severe or worsening pain, fever, or symptoms that worry you.
Results
A health professional may be able to tell you what was seen during nasal endoscopy right after the test. If a sample was taken for a culture or biopsy, those results may take more time.
Results may show a possible cause of your symptoms. Or nasal endoscopy may be one part of your overall evaluation.
Your next steps depend on what the nasal endoscopy results show and why you had the test. Your health professional may recommend follow-up with another health professional or more testing, such as imaging. Or your health professional may recommend treatment, such as surgery, or monitoring your condition over time.