RESUMO
Biopsy specimens of 52 chronically inflamed sinuses [20 maxillary and 32 ethmoid] were processed for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria during endoscopy. Bacterial growth was present in all specimens. In the 20 maxillary specimens, anaerobes were isolated in 16 and 36 were anaerobes in a total of 56 bacterial isolates. The predominant anaerobic organisms were bacteroids and peptostreptococci. The results indicated the major role of anaerobes in chronic maxillary sinusitis. On the other h and, the results showed the minor role of anaerobes in chronic ethmoid sinusitis. In ethmoid sinus, aerobic bacteria were isolated in all the specimens. Aerobes were the only isolates in 28 specimens, while only four specimens were mixed with anaerobes. There were 96 isolates, 80 were aerobic or facultative anaerobic. The predominant aerobic organisms in chronic ethmoid sinusitis were staphylococci and a- and b-hemolytic streptococci. It can be concluded that anaerobes play a minor role in chronic ethmoid sinusitis compared with their major role in chronic maxillary sinusitis