Cottle’s Test

Rhinology History and Clinical Examination

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👃 Cottle’s Test

🩺 What is Cottle’s Test?

Cottle’s test helps determine whether the patient’s nasal obstruction is due to internal nasal valve collapse, which may otherwise be difficult to diagnose visually.

What are the boundaries of Internal Nasal Valve?

🔍 How to perform Cottle’s Test?

The examiner places two fingers on the patient’s cheek, just lateral to the nose.
The cheek is gently pulled laterally, thereby widening the internal nasal valve area.
The patient is asked if their nasal breathing improves when this maneuver is done.

✅ Interpretation of Cottle's Test

Result	Patient Response	Interpretation
Positive	Breathing improves during lateral pull	Suggests internal nasal valve collapse
Negative	No improvement in breathing	Indicates obstruction likely due to other causes, e.g., Deviated Nasal Septum (DNS)

📌 Clinical Significance of Cottle's Test

Helps diagnose functional nasal obstruction.
Guides functional rhinoplasty planning.
A quick, non-invasive, cost-effective bedside tool.
Can be performed within a minute, yet provides high diagnostic value.

Cottle’s Test is an essential part of the ENT nasal examination, especially in patients presenting with nasal blockage without obvious septal deviation.

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