Paranasal sinuses anatomic variants: 64-slice CT evaluation

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Anatomy
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Anatomical variations of the paranasal sinuses are common.
• These variations can influence sinus function and surgical outcomes.
• Accurate identification of these variants is crucial for diagnosis and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate anatomical variants of the paranasal sinuses using 64-slice CT.
• To determine the prevalence of specific anatomical variants.
• To assess the utility of multidetector CT in visualizing these structures.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis of 100 paranasal sinus CT scans (64-slice Siemens Somatom Volume-Zoom).
• Patients included 45 women and 55 men, aged 18-70 years.
• Axial acquisition with multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) was used to identify variants: concha bullosa, Haller cells, uncinate process abnormalities, agger nasi cells, ethmoidal bulla, Onodi cell, and middle turbinate curvature abnormalities.

Main Results:

• Agger nasi cells were the most frequent variant (52%).
• Concha bullosa was observed in 29% of patients.
• Other variants included middle turbinate curvature abnormalities (11%), ethmoidal bulla (15%), Onodi cell (9%), Haller cells (5%), and uncinate process abnormalities (5%).

Conclusions:

• 64-slice CT provides high-resolution imaging for paranasal sinus anatomy.
• Anatomical variants are frequently encountered in the osteomeatal complex.
• The prevalence of these variants aligns with previous research findings.