title: Surgical anatomy of the sphenoid sinus on the CT using multiplanar reconstruction technique.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To clarify the three-dimensional anatomical features of the sphenoid sinus and its surrounding structures as are relevant to performing an endoscopic sphenoidotomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Various dimensions of 224 CT images of the sphenoid sinus and surrounding structures from 122 Japanese adult patients were measured using the multiplanar reconstruction technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean distance from the nasal sill to the sphenoid ostium was nearly 66 mm, and that from the sphenoid ostium to the posterior wall of the sphenoid sinus was nearly 14 mm. The angles from the sphenoid ostium to both the carotid artery and the optic canal varied among the patients. The sphenoid ostium was located at almost the vertical midpoint of the anterior wall of the sphenoid sinus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study provides anatomical information about the sphenoid sinus and surrounding structures that is essential for avoiding complications in performing an endoscopic sphenoidotomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Sakamoto, Nagasaki, Japan. kenatsu@nagasaki-u.ac.jp <kenatsu@nagasaki-u.ac.jp>
authors.forename: Kaori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Enatsu
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takasaki
authors.forename: Kei-Ichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kase
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jinnouchi
authors.forename: Hidetaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kumagami
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Haruo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013517:Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D010254:Paranasal Sinus Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013101:Sphenoid Sinus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*