title: Osteomeatal Complex: A Study of Its Anatomical Variation Among Patients Attending North Bengal Medical College and Hospital.
abstract: Lateral nasal wall of each nasal cavity provides the final common pathway of drainage of the mucociliary clearance of frontal, maxillary and anterior ethmoidal air cells. Anatomical variants like concha bullosa, Haller cells, agger nasi cells, enlarged bulla ethmoidalis may obstruct the mucociliary clearance through osteomeatal complex and cause rhino sinusitis. The objectives were to find out the anatomical variation of osteomeatal complex and its dimensions when present. The present study was a descriptive, hospital based cross sectional study carried out in the outpatient departments of North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, West Bengal, India, among patients aged 15 years and above. Coronal CT scan of paranasal sinus and orbit region was done. Data was collected with the help of semi structured predesigned and pretested questionnaire. Of the 44 study patients, 15.9 % had concha bullosa, 11.36 % had paradoxical middle concha, 27.3 % had Haller cell, 18.2 % had agger nasi cell. Lateral attachment and medial free margin of uncinate process were also measured in respect to medial body line. 77.3, 59.1 and 47.7 % had sneezing, rhinorrhoea and headache respectively. The harmony of mucociliary clearance and obstruction free osteomeatal complex is the key factor for ventilation and drainage of maxillary, frontal and anterior ethmoidal air cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, Bardhaman Medical College, Burdwan, 713104 West Bengal India ; Professor's Quarter No. A-6, North Bengal Medical College Campus, Sushrutanagar, Darjeeling, 734012 West Bengal India.
authors.forename: Raktim
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bandyopadhyay
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, North Bengal Medical College, Siliguri, 734012 West Bengal India.
authors.forename: Romy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Biswas
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, North Bengal Medical College, Siliguri, 734012 West Bengal India.
authors.forename: Sharmistha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhattacherjee
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiodiagnosis, North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, Siliguri, 734012 West Bengal India.
authors.forename: Narayan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pandit
authors.affiliation: Department of Oto Rhino Laryngology and Head Neck Surgery, North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, Siliguri, 734012 West Bengal India.
authors.forename: Somnath
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghosh
keywords: Air cells; Anatomical variation; Medial body line; Osteomeatal complex