RESUMEN
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Anatomical alterations of sinonasal cavity produced by various sinonasal diseases and surgeries can cause too much or too little sinus ventilation, which may develop pathology in the sinus. We studied the effect of the anatomical changes in nasal cavity and nasopharynx on the pressure of paranasal sinuses and ventilation of maxillary sinus in model experiment. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Anatomically accurate laboratory sinonasal model was constructed from computerized axial tomography scans of a healthy male. The pressure changes in the paranasal sinuses and oxygen washout from the maxillary sinus were investigated during controlled respiration by volunteer via corrugated tube connected to the nasopharynx of the normal model. The same procedures were performed in the adenoid hypertrophy and ethmoidectomized models. RESULTS: Adenoid hypertrophy caused an increase in maxillary antral pressure amplitude (the difference between peak positive and negative pressure), but showed a decrease in ventilation. In the ethmoidectomized model, ethmoidectomy improved maxillary sinus ventilation with slight decrease in the antral pressure amplitude, and widening of the ostium significantly increased ventilation, whereas near total middle turbinectomy impaired ventilation. CONCLUSION: The results obtained with the present model experiment may be of use for the understanding of the relations between anatomical change in the sinonasal cavity and sinus ventilation.