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Paranasal Sinus Bony Structures and Sinus Functioning During Viral Colds in Subjects With and Without a History of Recurrent Sinusitis
Author(s) -
Alho OlliPekka
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1097/00005537-200312000-00022
Subject(s) - medicine , sinusitis , sinus (botany) , concha bullosa , pathological , paranasal sinuses , maxillary sinus , surgery , pathology , botany , biology , genus
Objectives/Hypothesis The objective was to assess the impact of ostial obstruction and anatomical variations on paranasal sinus functioning during viral colds with computed tomography (CT) in subjects with and without a history of sinusitis. Study Design Cross‐sectional study. Methods Twenty‐three volunteers with a history of recurrent sinusitis and 25 subjects without such history who had an early (symptoms for 2–4 d) natural cold were examined by taking viral specimens and CT scans and recording symptoms. The pathological sinus changes in the CT scans were scored, and several paranasal bony anatomical variations recorded. Results Viral origin of the cold was identified in 32 (67%) subjects, similarly in the two groups. Ostiomeatal obstruction and anatomical variations were equally frequent in the subjects with and without a sinusitis history (17 of 23 vs. 17 of 25 for ostial obstruction and 17 of 23 vs. 20 of 25 for at least one variation, respectively). However, in the case of ostiomeatal obstruction the combined CT score of ethmoidal and maxillary sinuses was significantly higher in the subjects with a sinusitis history than in those without (mean ± SD, 3.0 ± 0.9 vs. 2.3 ± 1.2 [ P = .05, t test]). In the sinusitis‐prone subjects, several variations were associated significantly with various pathological sinus CT changes (septal deviation, horizontally situated processus uncinatus, large concha bullosa, and laterally concave concha media), whereas in the control subjects, only the presence of Haller cells was related to sphenoidal sinus disease. Conclusion Ostiomeatal complex obstruction and bony anatomical variations seem to have a greater impact on the functioning of paranasal sinuses during viral colds in sinusitis‐prone subjects than in subjects without a sinusitis history. These differences may be associated with the increased risk of bacterial sinusitis.