Occasional cases of this rare anomaly are reported in the literature, and today the condition is not too unfamiliar to physicians. However, as noted by Kazanjian,1 the reports of these cases mention adenoidectomy, septal resection and surgical opening of sinuses, which suggests that the true condition had escaped diagnosis.
In the case to be described, the presenting symptom was snoring, which happened to be of such severity as to inconvenience seriously other members within the barracks. All of the points mentioned by Kazanjian1 as helpful in making the diagnosis were present: (1) On inspection the nose presented no obvious clearcut cause for obstruction, (2) there was no profuse collection of clear mucus on the floor of the nose, (3) a small rubber catheter could not be passed through either nostril into the nasopharynx, (4) the choanae on inspection with a nasopharyngoscope and with a postnasal mirror presented a typical picture