Turbino-cerebral reflex: when the nose deceives the mind

Turbinate reduction or total inferior turbinectomy has been performed for a long time with septal correction due to suboptimal results of septal surgery only. On the other hand, total turbinectomy causes severe crusting, hyposmia/anosmia, halitosis, and sometimes recurrent epistaxis. The persistence of patients’ complaints of nasal obstruction despite partial or complete reduction of the inferior turbinate remains an enigma to surgeons. This led us to postulate the existence of an unknown reflex between the inferior turbinate and the brain, which might be lost due to total or partial inferior turbinectomy.