Anatomical Variation in Maxillary Sinus Ostium Positioning: Implications for Nasal-Sinus Disease

Area of Science:

• Anatomy
• Medical Imaging
• Otolaryngology

Background:

• Superiorly located maxillary sinus ostia (MSO) are linked to maxillary sinus (MS) drainage issues.
• Previous research focused on sinusitis frequency or MSO position relative to nasal landmarks, not MS dimensions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between MSO position and MS size/shape.
• To determine if sex-based differences exist in this relationship.

Main Methods:

• Utilized magnetic resonance images (MRIs) from 109 individuals (57 males, 52 females).
• Placed 29 landmarks to capture cranial, MS, nasal cavity dimensions, and MSO position relative to MS and nasal floors.
• Employed principal components analysis (PCA) and regression analyses for spatial and dimensional assessments.

Main Results:

• MSO position relates to MS superior-inferior positioning and height.
• Larger, taller MSs correlate with greater MSO-MS floor distances.
• Females exhibit smaller MSs and lower MSO-MS floor distances for similar MS heights, but no significant sex-based differences in shape or size-standardized dimensions.

Conclusions:

• Superior MSO placement is associated with larger, taller maxillary sinuses.
• Craniofacial surgeons should consider potential sex-based differences in MS anatomy.
• The study does not link observed anatomical variations to higher female sinusitis incidence.