Radiological correlation between pneumatization of frontal sinus and height of fovea ethmoidalis.
BACKGROUND
We need more data about the variations of skull base to minimize the complications of ethmoidectomy. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between the pneumatization of the frontal sinus and height of the fovea ethmoidalis.


METHODS
Paranasal coronal computed tomography (CT) scans of 487 sides of 300 patients were evaluated. The presence of the frontal cell and pneumatization of the frontal sinus were studied with respect to the height of the fovea ethmoidalis.


RESULTS
We found a statistically significant correlation between the frontal cell and frontal sinus hyperpneumatization (p = 0.000). We determined that there was a deeper fovea ethmoidalis in the sides that have a frontal cell (p <or= 0.001) and in the sides that have hyperpneumatization of the frontal sinus (p = 0.000). We also observed flatter fovea ethmoidalis in the sides that have hypopneumatization of the frontal sinus (p <or= 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The presence of a frontal cell or hyperpneumatization of the frontal sinus on CT scan should alert the clinician that there may be a deep fovea ethmoidalis.
Gumus
Cesur
C
Department of Radiology, Cumhuriyet University Medical Faculty, Turkey.
Yildirim
Altan
A
D005005:Ethmoid Sinus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005626:Frontal Sinus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D015522:Frontal Sinusitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006257:Head / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D010256:Paranasal Sinuses / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D019291:Skull Base; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*