Mapping Maxillary Sinus Septa in a Lebanese Sample: a Radio-anatomical Study

Sinus septa are bony processes that develop in a variable fashion. Such structures present a challenge for surgical procedures of the maxillary sinuses.

This study aims to evaluate the prevalence and patterns of maxillary sinus septa in a sample from the Lebanese population.

A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on a series of 568 Cone Beam Computed Tomography scans (CBCT) belonging to patients that presented to the Maxillofacial Radiology division of the Faculty of Dental Medicine in the Lebanese University. None of the included patients had sinus pathologies. Age ranged from 18 to 80 years with 332 females and 236 males yielding a total of 1136 maxillary sinus. Sinuses were inspected for septa, specifying their location in multiple dimensions, angulations and number.

36.27% of studied patients presented at least one septum (27.46% of all sinuses). No predilection towards age or sex was found. A higher number of septa were located in the middle region anteroposteriorly (38.14%), and most were localized in the inferior third coronally (81.16%). Multiple angulations are also reported.

Our results suggest a common prevalence of maxillary sinus septa in our Lebanese sample and suggest similar distribution and patterns to that of reported literature.