title: Volumetric study of sphenoid sinuses: anatomical analysis in helical computed tomography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The sphenoid sinus is the most inaccessible part of the face, being inside the sphenoid bone and closely related to numerous vital neural and vascular structures. The objective of this study was to analyze and evaluate the variation of anatomy and the volume of the sphenoid sinus using helical computed tomography and medical imaging software.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 47 helical CT scans of sinuses of male and female individuals aged 18-86 years were selected. The images were formatted using ITK-SNAP software, consisting of three steps: (1) segmentation; (2) volumetric analysis and (3) 3D reconstruction. The sphenoid sinuses were also classified according to Hammer, i.e., in conchal, pre-sellar, sellar and post-sellar types. A single investigator, who is specialist in dental radiology and was trained and calibrated, performed the volume and image analysis. After 15 days, the segmentations were repeated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Dunn's multiple comparison test revealed significant differences in the volume rankings between the right and left sides (P = 0.0002), with the post-sellar type presenting the greatest volume on the right side compared to pre-sellar and sellar types. In the left sphenoid sinuses, the post-sellar type showed the greatest volume. The Lin's correlation coefficient showed excellent reproducibility values.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to the applied methodology, it was found that the volume of the sphenoid sinus was influenced by neither age nor gender (P > 0.005). There was difference in the volumes of sphenoid sinus on the right and left sides and in the anatomical classification.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, City of São Paulo University, UNICID, Rua Cesário Galeno 448, Bloco A. Tatuapé, São Paulo, 03071-000, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juliana Mayara Magalhães
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, City of São Paulo University, UNICID, Rua Cesário Galeno 448, Bloco A. Tatuapé, São Paulo, 03071-000, SP, Brazil. mbialonso_usp@yahoo.com.br.|Department of Orthodontics and Radiology, UNICID, São Paulo, Brazil. mbialonso_usp@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Maria Beatriz Carrazzone Cal
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, City of São Paulo University, UNICID, Rua Cesário Galeno 448, Bloco A. Tatuapé, São Paulo, 03071-000, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria José Albuquerque Pereira
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: de Sousa E Tucunduva
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, City of São Paulo University, UNICID, Rua Cesário Galeno 448, Bloco A. Tatuapé, São Paulo, 03071-000, SP, Brazil.|Department of Orthodontics and Radiology, UNICID, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Acácio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fuziy
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, City of São Paulo University, UNICID, Rua Cesário Galeno 448, Bloco A. Tatuapé, São Paulo, 03071-000, SP, Brazil.|Department of Orthodontics and Radiology, UNICID, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Carla Raphaelli Nahás
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Scocate
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, City of São Paulo University, UNICID, Rua Cesário Galeno 448, Bloco A. Tatuapé, São Paulo, 03071-000, SP, Brazil.|Department of Orthodontics and Radiology, UNICID, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: André Luiz Ferreira
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Costa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D063405:Anatomic Variation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012737:Sex Factors; D013100:Sphenoid Bone / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013101:Sphenoid Sinus / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Anatomy; Computed tomography; Sphenoid sinus