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The postnatal development of the paranasal sinuses in the horse
Author(s) -
Bragulla Hermann Heinrich,
Homberger Dominique G,
Wood Bradley M
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.26.1_supplement.907.12
Subject(s) - paranasal sinuses , sinus (botany) , medicine , anatomy , dissection (medical) , nasal cavity , maxillary sinus , neurocranium , radiology , skull , biology , botany , genus
In horses, paranasal sinuses form an elaborate system of interconnected cavities in the viscero‐and neurocranium. These sinuses are clinically significant, because sinus infections can affect vital structures, such as the optic nerve. To treat sinus infections, bony landmarks are used, such as the nasoincisive notch, for locating and accessing the sinuses via trepanation. In order to better understand the topographic and age‐related changes of the paranasal sinuses in relation to bony landmarks, we evaluated the postnatal development of the sinuses in horses, ages ranging from 3 days to 31 years old, via 3D reconstruction based on CT images. This non‐invasive method of virtual dissection avoids artifacts, such as those incurred due to incomplete filling of corrosion casts, because the paranasal sinuses can be segmented and reconstructed in their entirety. The reconstructed dimensions of the various paranasal sinuses are correlated to the growth of the cranium, as well as to the age of the horse, to determine whether there are size‐or age‐specific topographic relationships. For example, in the 6 years between 3‐year and 9‐year old horses, the volume of the caudal maxillary sinus increases 5 times, whereas the volume of the sphenopalatine sinus increases only 3 times and the volume of the neurocranial cavity increases only about 10 %. This study may also contribute to the understanding of NO production in the sinuses.