The use of a nasal obturator in hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia: an alternative to Young’s procedure

Abstract

Epistaxis associated with hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a challenging condition. Septodermoplasty, electrocautery and laser treatment often provide short-term relief only. The surgical closure of the nostrils ('Young's procedure') represents a longer term solution but has the disadvantage of causing permanent complete nasal obstruction. A Silastic obturator has the advantage of being a non-surgical intervention and allows temporary relief of the nasal obstruction. We present the cases of three patientswith HHT who used the obturator with good clinical effect, suggesting that this is a realistic non-surgical alternative to Young's procedure for patients with HHT.