Homograft cartilage in the treatment of an abscess in the nasal septum

A series of five patients is presented, all of whom were treated with implantation of human septal cartilage for an abscess in the nasal septum. The cartilage had previously been stored in a cartilage bank; the operative method is described. The observation time was, on average, 33 months. No saddle deformity, retraction of the columella or ballooning of the nares was observed at follow-up. A single patient had to be re-operated upon for other reasons. No signs of resorption or rejection of the implant were observed at this operation. The functional and cosmetic results were satisfactory in all patients.