Nasal obstruction – bilateral nasal stuffiness alternates from one site to other; this is more marked at night, when the dependent side of nose is often blocked. Postnasal drip. Complications
Nonallergic rhinitis cases may subsequently develop polyps, turbinate hypertrophy and sinusitis. Pathophysiology
Nasal mucosa has a rich blood supply and has venous sinusoids or "lakes" surrounded by smooth muscle fibers. These smooth muscle fibers act as sphincters and control the filling and emptying of sinusoids. Sympathetic stimulation causes vasoconstriction and shrinkage of mucosa, which leads to decongestion of the nose. Parasympathetic stimulation causes not only excessive secretion from the nasal gland but also vasodilatation and engorgement, which lead to rhinorrhoea and congestion of the nose. The autonomic nervous system, which supplies the nasal mucosa, is under the control of the hypothalamus. Diagnosis
Nose examination: The mucosa is usually boggy and edematous with clear mucoid secretions. The turbinates are congested and hypertrophic.Pharynx examination: Mucosal injection and lymphoid hyperplasia involving tonsils, adenoids and base of tongue may be seen. Investigations
Absolute eosinophil count, nasal smear, skin and in vitro allergy tests to rule out allergic rhinitis, acoustic rhinometry for measuring nasal patency, smell testing, CT scan in cases of sinus disease and MRI in case of mass lesions. Classification
Treatment
Medical
The avoidance of inciting factors such as sudden changes in temperature, humidity, or blasts of air or dust is helpful. Intranasal application of antihistamines, corticosteroids, or anticholinergics may also be used for vasomotor rhinitis. Intranasal cromolyn sodium may be used in patients older than two years.
Mutations in the SLC26A2 gene alter the structure of developing cartilage, preventing bones from forming properly and resulting in the skeletal problems characteristic of diastrophic dysplasia. This condition is an autosomal recessive disorder, meaning that the defective gene is located on an autosome, and both parents must carry one copy of the defective gene in order to have a child born with the disorder. The parents of a child with an autosomal recessive disorder are usually not affected by the disorder. Prevalence
Diastrophic dysplasia affects about one in 500,000 births, however; in Finland, this disorder is more common, with about in 1 in 33,000 births being affected by the disorder. See also
Achondrogenesis type 1B

References
This article incorporates some public domain text from The U.S. National Library of Medicine

External links

GeneReviews/NCBI/NIH/UW entry on Diastrophic Dysplasia