The Relationship between an Accessory Maxillary Ostium and Variations in Structures Adjacent to the Maxillary Sinus...

Area of Science:

• Anatomy
• Radiology
• Rhinology

Background:

• Maxillary sinus anatomy and variations are critical in dentistry and rhinology.
• Accessory maxillary ostium (AMO) is a significant anatomical variation.
• Understanding AMO's impact on adjacent structures is essential for clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of accessory maxillary ostium (AMO) on variations of adjacent maxillary sinus structures.
• To determine the prevalence of AMO.
• To correlate AMO presence with anatomical variations and maxillary sinusitis.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 400 patient CT scans.
• Calculation of AMO prevalence.
• Investigation of relationships between AMO and anatomical variations: agger nasi cell (ANC), Haller cell (HC), nasal septum deviation (NSD), hypertrophy of inferior concha (HIC), pneumatization of middle concha (PMC), mucus retention cyst (MRC), mucosal thickening (MT), and maxillary sinusitis (MS).

Main Results:

• AMO was present in 10.5% of patients.
• Increased incidence of ANC, HC, NSD, HIC, and PMC observed with AMO and MS.
• Decreased incidence of MRC noted with AMO; MT incidence was unaffected.

Conclusions:

• AMO is associated with increased incidence of most adjacent maxillary sinus variations, excluding MRC and MT.
• Awareness of AMO location and associated variations is vital for radiologists and rhinologists to prevent surgical complications.