Abstract
Background and Objectives: In the recent years endoscopic sinus surgery has been established a succesfull treatment of chronic sinusitis, and more attention has been given to CT scan evaluation of paranasal sinuses. The goal of this study is to determine the incidence of anatomic variants such as nasal septal deviation, concha bullosa, paradoxical middle turbinate, uncinate process variants, agger nasi cell, haller cell, obstructed osteomeatal complex and other uncommon variants in patient with chronic sinusitis, and to find the relationship of this variants and chronic sinusitis as predisposing factors.
Materials and Methods: during 2 years (2004, 2005) nasal and paranasal sinus CT scans of 100 patients with chronic sinusitis, and 100 healthy persons that have been refferd to the CT scan department of Imam Khomeini and shams hospitals, were evaluated. The subjects that were reviewed in CT scan were inflammatory condition of paranasal sinuses and anatomic variations of this region.
Results: the incidences of anatomic variants in the patient group were: nasal septal deviation 65%, concha bollusa 18%, agger nasi cell 1%, obstructed osteomeatal complex 14%, and other variants haven’t been seen. In the control group the incidences of anatomic variants were: nasal septal deviation 71%, concha bollusa 10%, agger nasi cell 2%, obstructed osteomeatal complex 3%.
Conclusion: Although anatomic variants have been suspected as a potential cause of osteomeatal complex and middle meatal narrowing and obstraction and resultant sinusitis, the study showed that existence of anatomic variants didn’t associate with higher incidence of chronic sinusitis, except of the presence of concha bollusa and obstructed OMC that have a relationship with chronic sinusitis.