Correlation of X rays and computed tomography in paranasal sinus diseases

ABSTRACT

Objective of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic yield of X-rays taking CT scan as gold standard in acute and chronic sinusitis. Validation study. The study was conducted in the Radiology Department CMH Rawalpindi, from 1[st] Aug 2007 to 31[st] July 2008. This study involved 95 patients of both genders above 18 years of age who presented with acute and chronic sinusitis in ENT department of CMH Rawalpindi. Patients were referred to Radiology department for their X-ray paranasal sinuses [PNS] and findings were correlated with CT scan. Out of 43 patients clinically suspected of having acute sinusitis, x ray PNS shows imaging findings of acute sinusitis in 26 [60%] patients while 17 patients were having normal x-ray PNS. When CT scan was performed to correlate the findings, it showed 30 [69%] patients were having acute sinusitis while 13 [30%] patients had no imaging findings of sinusitis. Out of 48 patients, x ray PNS showed chronic sinusitis in 26 [54%] patients and 22 patients were having normal x ray PNS. While CT scan showed 33 [68%] patients were having chronic sinusitis and 15 patients were normal. Four patients either didn't reported for their CT scan or they refused to get their CT scan done. Plain radiographs were once the mainstay of diagnosis of sinus disease and now have been replaced by high-resolution CT scan for the evaluation of acute and chronic sinusitis. Plain radiographs do not allow adequate evaluation of the osteomeatal complex or the sphenoid and ethmoid sinuses because of overlapping anatomic structures. CT is the modality of choice for imaging acute and chronic sinusitis and provides the surgeon with important information of the osteomeatal complex and normal variations, preoperatively