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Bacteriology of the maxillary sinus.
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Valley Medical Center, Fresno, CA 93702.
Summary
The asymptomatic adult maxillary sinus is typically sterile. While some patients showed negligible bacterial growth, microscopic analysis revealed inflammatory responses, indicating the sinus can detect and react to transient bacteria.
Area of Science:
- Otorhinolaryngology
- Microbiology
- Immunology
Background:
- The maxillary sinus microbiome in asymptomatic adults is not well-characterized.
- Understanding sinus bacterial presence is crucial for interpreting findings during maxillofacial surgery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the bacteriologic findings in the maxillary sinus of patients undergoing surgical repositioning of the maxilla.
- To correlate bacterial presence with microscopic inflammatory responses in the sinus mucosa.
Main Methods:
- Collected three types of specimens (bony wall, irrigated aspirate, membrane swab) from 20 patients prior to surgery.
- Cultured specimens for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria.
- Examined sinus membrane microscopically for inflammatory cell infiltrate.
Main Results:
- 80% (16/20) of patients showed no bacterial growth from any sinus specimen.
- The remaining 20% (4/20) had negligible bacterial growth.
- All mucosal specimens exhibited inflammatory cell infiltrate; those with bacteria showed a more acute response.
Conclusions:
- The asymptomatic adult maxillary sinus is generally sterile.
- Transient bacteria may be present in clinically silent sinuses.
- The sinus mucosa mounts an inflammatory response to detected bacteria.