A Model of Human Nose and Paranasal Sinuses for the Study of Sinus Ventilation / 대한이비인후과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The pathogenesis of chronic paranasal sinusitis has been gradually clarified, but there have been conflicting arguments on the ventilation of paranasal sinus. The aim of the present study is to establish an objective, quantitative and reproducible method for the investigation of the ventilation of paranasal sinuses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: With the axial images of high resolution computed tomography, a fine model of human paranasal sinus was made. The model was fitted with pressure sensors, and the pressure changes in the nasal cavity, frontal, maxillary and sphenoid sinuses were measured by pressure sensors and digital physiograph during nasopharyngeal respiration. RESULTS: Results demonstrated negative pressures compared to the atmospheric pressure during inspiration and positive pressures during expiration in the sinonasal cavities, and the highest and lowest pressures were measured in the nasal cavity. CONCLUSION: This study introduces another method for the investigation on the sinus ventilation through a model study. And this study model has demonstrated that the ventilation of paranasal sinuses depends on nasal respiration. Furthermore, the method is useful to evaluate the results of nasal and sinus surgeries in the case of an obstructed ostium, deviated septum or hypertrophied turbinates.