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Comparative study of the pneumatization of the mastoid air cells and paranasal sinuses using three-dimensional
Joohwan Kim1, Sun Wha Song, Jin-Hee Cho
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital, #65-1 Geumo-Dong, Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi-Do, 480-717, Korea. juanent@catholic.ac.kr
Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the pneumatization of mastoid air cells and PNS using three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of computed tomography (CT) scans of the PNS.
Methods:
A retrospective review of PNS CT scans from 60 cases was performed. Patients with evidence of sinusitis or mastoiditis, or a history of head trauma, were excluded from the study. Volumes were measured using 3D reconstruction based on axial images of 1 mm thickness. Volumes of the mastoid air cells (right and left), frontal sinus, sphenoid sinus, and maxillary sinuses (right and left) were obtained and compared using statistical analysis.
Results:
The volume of mastoid air cells and sinuses did change with age, but the volumes of male subjects were larger than those of females. There was a positive correlation between the pneumatization of mastoid air cells and that of the sphenoid sinus; however, no relationship was observed between the volume of mastoid air cells and that of the maxillary sinuses.
Conclusions:
This study examined whether a similarity in pneumatization exists between the mastoid air cells and PNS of individuals; these results may be useful in understanding the normal and pathological conditions of both structures.
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