Characterising Sinonasal Pneumatization in Patients with Nasal Septal Deviation: A CBCT-Based Study

This study aimed to investigate the presence and correlation of paranasal sinus pneumatization among patients with and without nasal septal deviations (NSD), to enhance clinical understanding of sinonasal anatomical variations.

It is descriptive, retrospective study under a monocentric, utilizing institutional archives. 30 subjects with NSD and 30 without NSD were selected. Inclusion criteria required diagnostic quality Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) images, while exclusion criteria included developmental anomalies, central pathology, previous sinonasal surgery, fractures, and non-diagnostic images. The Assessment of Pneumatization of the Paranasal Sinuses (APPS) score was used to evaluate anatomical variations in paranasal sinuses based on CBCT scans. Statistical analysis was performed using the Chi-square test and independent t-test via SPSS version 23.

A significant association between NSD and certain anatomical variations was observed. Notably, higher prevalence rates of variations such as pneumatization of the maxillary floor, middle turbinate concha bullosa, and superior frontal sinus wall were found in subjects with NSD. Statistical significance was confirmed in seven out of nine parameters, with p-values < 0.001 for most comparisons. The left side exhibited greater pneumatization than the right. The total APPS scores showed strong statistical significance between groups (p < 0.001).

The study reveals a significant relationship between nasal septal deviation and paranasal sinus pneumatization, suggesting that septal deviations may influence the extent of pneumatization in the sinonasal complex.