Prevalence of pneumatized uncinate process and accompanying neighboring variations.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the prevalence of uncinate process (UP) pneumatization and also to investigate the association of UP pneumatization with concurrent morphological variations in neighboring structures and the presence of maxillary sinusitis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study where coronal computed tomography scans of 1,500 UPs in 750 patients (483 males, 267 females; mean age 36.3±14.7 years; range 7 to 84 years) were examined to determine the prevalence of UP pneumatization and to assess any concurrent neighboring anatomical structures and the presence of maxillary sinusitis between January 2013 and June 2013. RESULTS: Uncinate process pneumatization was identified in a total of 6.26% of our patients with 1.60% being bilateral, 2.53% on the right only, and 2.13% on the left side only. Other than concurrent occurrences of right maxillary sinus septa (p=0.046), growth of the right ethmoidal bulla (p=0.044) and presence of maxillary sinusitis (right side: p=0.046, left side: p=0.035) were seen. CONCLUSION: We detected a 6.2% prevalence of UP pneumatization in our study group. An abnormally sized and over-pneumatized UP can cause narrowing of the infundibulum and impaired sinus drainage. Such functional blockage can lead to recurrent maxillary sinusitis, stuffiness, and decreased olfaction.

The effect of the presence of the accessory maxillary ostium on the maxillary sinus.

This study was conducted to investigate the presence of the accessory maxillary ostium and its effects on the maxillary sinus, and the concurrent occurrence of morphological variations of neighboring anatomical structures. This study was performed in a tertiary referral center. This is a cross-sectional retrospective study that evaluated coronal CTs of patients to determine the frequency of the accessory maxillary ostium and investigated any simultaneous morphological variations in neighboring anatomical structures. The presence of the accessory maxillary ostium (AMO) plus any concurrent morphological variations of neighboring structures were investigated in 377 patients, with 754 sides. AMO was found to be present in 19.1 % (72/377) of the patients. A concurrent mucus retention cyst was found to be statistically significant on both sides (right side: p = 0.00, left side: p = 0.00), as well as mucosal thickening (right side: p = 0.00, left side: p = 0.00), and maxillary sinusitis (right side: p = 0.04, left side: p = 0.03). No other concurrent variations of statistical significance were detected in the neighboring structures. Our study demonstrated that with the presence of AMO, the likelihood of encountering a mucus retention cyst (48.6 %) had an approximately threefold increase, and that of encountering mucosal thickening (43.0 %) and maxillary sinusitis (29.1 %) had a twofold increase.

Radiological classification of the infraorbital canal and correlation with variants of neighboring structures.

This study aims to classify the infraorbital canal according to its position related to the maxillary sinus as observed by axial CT. It is a retrospective, cross-sectional study. This study was performed in a tertiary referral center. In this study, axial and coronal CTs of 750 patients were examined and infraorbital canals and neighboring structures were evaluated. Infraorbital canals were then classified according to their positions in relation to the maxillary sinus as seen in axial sections. Morphologic variations of neighboring structures were also noted and their correlations with specific canal types were investigated. Three types of infraorbital canal configurations were identified according to the canal's relationship with the maxillary sinus: Type 1, the infraorbital canal was totally protruding into the maxillary sinus (12.3 %); Type 2, the infraorbital canal was located at the floor of the maxillary sinus or was partially protruding into the maxillary sinus (51.2 %); Type 3, the infraorbital canal was totally embedded in the maxillary corpus or was bulging on the external face of the maxillary sinus (36.4 %). Concurrence of maxillary sinus septa and infraorbital canal type-1 was found to be statistically significant on both sides (right side p = 0.00, left side p = 0.00). The study radiologically classified the infraorbital canal according to its position as related to the anterior wall of the maxillary sinus, and found that the type where the canal was totally protruding into the maxillary sinus (type-1) had a significant rate of 12.3 %. The rate of the protruded infraorbital canal was doubled with the presence of maxillary sinus septa (25 %).