Concha bullosa types: their relationship with sinusitis, ostiomeatal and frontal recess disease

To assess the relationship among the concha bullosa types and sinusitis, ostiomeatal and frontal recess disease.

Computed tomography (CT) studies of 76 patients diagnosed with concha bullosa were reviewed retrospectively. All examinations were performed for evaluation of a symptom referable to sinonasal region. Concha bullosa cases were grouped according to the location of pneumatization of middle concha as lamellar, bulbous, and extensive. Each group was compared according to sinus, ostiomeatal and frontal recess disease. We have assessed the location of ostium (frontal recess, air cells along the basal lamella, hiatus semilunaris) with respect to the types of concha bullosa.

There was not a significant relationship between concha bullosa types and sinus disease, ostiomeatal disease, and frontal recess disease (p > 0.05). The location of ostium of the bulbous type was the hiatus semilunaris (p < 0.05) and that of the extensive type was the frontal recess (p < 0.05) preferentially.

There is no statistically significant difference between lamellar, bulbous and extensive type concha bullosas in terms of sinus disease, ostiomeatal disease and frontal recess disease incidence. Bulbous type preferentially drains into the hiatus semilunaris, and extensive into the frontal recess.