title: CT of Anatomic Variants of the Paranasal Sinuses and Nasal Cavity: Poor Correlation With Radiologically Significant Rhinosinusitis but Importance in Surgical Planning.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of sinonasal anatomic variants and to assess their relation to sinonasal mucosal disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective evaluation of 192 sinus CT examinations of patients with a clinical history of rhinosinusitis was conducted. The CT scans were evaluated for the presence of several anatomic variants of the sinonasal cavities, and the prevalence of each variant was calculated. Prevalences of all sinonasal anatomic variants were compared between patients who had minimal to no apparent imaging evidence of rhinosinusitis and those who had radiologic evidence of clinically significant rhinosinusitis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most common normal variants were nasal septal deviation, Agger nasi cells, and extension of the sphenoid sinuses into the posterior nasal septum. We found no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of any of the studied anatomic variants between patients with minimal and those with clinically significant paranasal sinus or nasal cavity disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Analysis of every routine CT scan of the paranasal sinuses obtained for sinusitis or rhinitis for the presence of different anatomic variants is of questionable value unless surgery is planned.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Radiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L Levy Pl, New York, NY 10029-6574.
authors.forename: Katya A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Shpilberg
authors.forename: Simon C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.forename: Amish H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Doshi
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lawson
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Som
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D010256:Paranasal Sinuses / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: CT; anatomic variants; functional endoscopic sinus surgery; paranasal sinuses; sinusitis