Results
A total of 633 male adolescents were examined, 87 were excluded
according to exclusion criterions and 546 healthy were included. Of
these participants, 85 were aged 15 years, 291 were aged 16 years, and
168 were aged 17 years. The mean age was 16.148±0.667 (range, 15 to 17)
years. Dominant hand, deviation of the nasal bony pyramid, and caudal
septal deviation according to age groups are shown in Table 1.
In the overall study group, 91% (n=497) were right-handed and 9%
(n=49) were left-handed. The distribution of the dominant hand across
the age groups was comparable (p=0.921). The association between hand
dominance and nasal bony pyramid deviation, caudal septal deviation, and
nostril asymmetry are shown in Table 2.
Of all cases with deviation of the nasal bony pyramid (n=133, 24.4%),
the deviation was to the right in 59.4% (n=79) and to the left in
40.6% (n=54). Although there were more cases with deviation to the
right, it did not reach statistical significance (p=0.190).
The caudal septum was in the midline in 74.4% of the participants
(n=406), while it was deviated in 25.6% (n=140). Of the deviations,
74.2% (n=104) was to the right, and 25.8% (n=36) was to the left.
Although the incidence of caudal septal deviations declined with
increasing age, it did not reach statistical significance (p=0.309).
Examination of the nostril asymmetry showed symmetrical nostrils in
72.3% (n=395) and asymmetrical nostrils in 27.7% of the participants
(n=151). Asymmetry was reduced with aging, although this reduction was
not statistically significant (p=0.325).
Comparison of hand dominance and deviations of the nasal bony pyramid
showed that, of those with deviation to the right, 61.2% (n=74) were
right-hand dominant, while 58.3% (n=7) of those with deviation to the
left were left-hand dominant. Although the side of the deviation of the
nasal bony pyramid tended to favor the side of the dominant hand, it did
not reach statistical significance (p=0.158).
According to the association between hand dominance and caudal septal
deviation, of those with caudal septal deviation to the right, 76.6%
(n=98) were right-handed and 50% (n=6) of those with deviation to the
left were left-handed (p=0.077). According to the hand dominance and the
size of nostrils, 92.1% (n=105) of those with a larger left nostril
were right-handed and 7.9% (n=9) were left-handed; however, the
difference was not statistically significant (p=0.333).
In 84.6% of the participants with caudal septal deviation to the right,
the nasal bony pyramid deviation was toward the right side. In 91.2% of
the participants with septal deviation to the left, the nasal bony
pyramid deviation was to the left side. This tendency was statically
significant (p<0.05). Among those with caudal septal deviation
to the right, 95.2% had a smaller right nostril, while the left nostril
was smaller in those with a deviation to the left, indicating a
statistically significant association (p<0.05) (Table 3).