Morphometric analyses of the development of nasal cavity in human fetuses: an anatomical and radiological study.
OBJECTIVE
It was aimed to research the morphometric development of the nasal cavity with dissection and radiological scanning methods and to detect anatomical variations.


METHODS
Retrospective study.


METHODS
Departments of Anatomy and Radiology, Meram Medical Faculty, Selcuk University.


METHODS
Dissection stage was performed on 80 spontaneously aborted fetuses (40 males and 40 females) (63 second trimesters and 17 third trimesters) between 13 and 40 weeks of gestation. Radiological scanning stage was carried out on 40 spontaneously aborted fetuses (19 males and 21 females) (12 second trimesters and 28 third trimesters) with multi-detector computed tomography.


METHODS
One hundred and sixty nasal cavities and related structures were examined by means of bilateral dissection. Reference images were obtained in the axial plane with 3-mm collimation using multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT; Sensation 64, Siemens, Erlangen, Germany). These reference images were sent to the workstation (Leonardo, Siemens, Germany) and three-dimensional (axial, sagittal, and coronal) reformatted images with 1mm thickness were obtained via multiplanar imaging method.


RESULTS
In the dissected fetuses 16 suprema nasal conchae were determined. Six (15%) NSDs (four towards the left and two towards the right) were detected on radiological sections. The angle between the virtual line from sphenoidal sinus ostium through limen nasi and the horizontal plane was 32.72+/-3.3 degrees on average.


CONCLUSIONS
It was thought that some anatomic variations (e.g. suprema nasal concha, nasal septum deviation) occur in the fetal period; however, other certain differences (e.g. Onodi, Haller, and Agger nasi cells, concha bullosa) might be with effects of environmental factors (trauma and chronic infections) in postnatal period.
Yilmaz
Neslihan Altuntas
NA
Department of Anatomy, Meram Medical Faculty, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey.
Cicekcibasi
Aynur Emine
AE
Emlik
Dilek
D
Yilmaz
Mehmet Tugrul
MT
Keles
Bahar
B
Salbacak
Ahmet
A
D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous; D004210:Dissection; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000196:embryology*; D009300:Nasal Septum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed