The Hot Nose Sign

The hot nose sign is a finding that can be observed on scintigraphic brain flow scans. It is defined as the presence of early, increased activity in the nasopharyngeal region at radionuclide blood flow scanning.

The hot nose sign may be seen in patients who have diminished blood flow in one or both internal carotid arteries. Decreased internal carotid blood flow leads to increased or collateral flow through the external carotid artery on the involved side, producing markedly increased perfusion to the nasal region. The result is a blush of increased nasopharyngeal radiotracer activity, or “hot nose”, that can be seen on radionuclide blood flow scans.