[Assessment of nasal function by computational fluid dynamics].

This review summarises the knowledge of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) which combines fluid mechanics, mathematics and computer simulation to analyse airflow and air conditioning of the nasal airway. Traditional objective measures are hampered by low correlation to subjective outcome, whereas CFD variables such as heat flux and nasal middle airflow show good correlation. Studies also show great potential for virtual surgery, when the nasal procedure is simulated, and CFD analyse the impact on airflow and conditioning to optimize surgical planning. CFD could be of great value in rhinology and improve nasal surgery.