title: Computed tomographic analysis of frontal recess cells in pediatric patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the prevalence of frontoethmoid cells and superior uncinate process attachment in pediatric patients with sinonasal symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty high-resolution computed tomographies of the paranasal sinuses for pediatric patients were evaluated for the presence of frontoethmoid cells and uncinate process insertion. The computed tomographies were randomly collected for patients with sinonasal symptoms (age range, 4-15 years) at our clinic. The prevalence of these cells was compared against age group and type of uncinate process.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of each structure was agger nasi cell (97%), type 1 frontal cell (39%), type 2 frontal cell (27%), type 3 frontal cell (11%), type 4 frontal cell (1%), supraorbital ethmoid cell (38%), suprabullar cell (57%), frontal bullar cell (9%), and interfrontal septal cell (16%). When excluding the agger nasi cell, 48 patients (96%) had at least one type of frontoethmoid cell and 43 (86%) had at least one frontal cell. The frequency of these cells did not significantly differ based on sex or uncinate process insertion, but it did with age. Lamina papyracea was the most common site of superior uncinate process attachment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicated a high frequency of frontoethmoid cells in the pediatric age group. The prevalence of these variations changes during childhood development. As in adults, lamina papyracea is the most common site of superior uncinate process attachment. Recognition of these variations in the frontal recess can provide useful information for safe and efficient endoscopic dissection in the frontal recess region.
authors.affiliation: Division of Otolaryngology, Department of Special Surgery, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan.
authors.forename: Mohannad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al-Qudah
authors.forename: Diala
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mardini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005626:Frontal Sinus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D015522:Frontal Sinusitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013517:Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*