The Usefulness of Cone Beam Computed Tomography in Endoscopic Sinus Surgery

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cone beam CT is a relatively new radiologic technique for head and neck imaging, and is widely used in dentistry to plan implant procedures. Compared to conventional CT, it has greater spatial resolution, a lower radiation dose (about 10% that of conventional CT), and lower cost. The objective of this study was to evaluate the utility of cone beam CT for endoscopic sinus surgery. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 50 patients were involved. Endoscopic sinus surgery was performed unilaterally under local anesthesia, so we used the half Lund-Mackay score to quantify preoperative CT findings. The intraoperative severity score was also determined, and the relationship between the preoperative Lund-Mackay score and intraoperative severity was assessed. The subjective level of operator satisfaction was scored on a ten-point visual analogue scale in terms of four items overall satisfaction, disease extent of each sinus, identification of anatomic landmarks, and distinction of soft tissue characteristics. RESULTS: The preoperative half Lund-Mackay score was 5.26 and the intraoperative severity score was 5.02; these two scores were significantly correlated (p < 0.01). The level of overall operator satisfaction was relatively high (9.04/10). CONCLUSION: Cone beam CT is a useful imaging method for preoperative evaluation of endoscopic sinus surgery.