Paranasal sinus pathoses on cone beam computed tomography.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate paranasal sinus pathoses detected on cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in an adult population.

Patients and methods: Three observers retrospectively inspected 353 consecutive CBCT scans obtained in a dentomaxillofacial radiology department for paranasal sinus pathoses. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used to determine the prevalence of categorical parameters.

Results: The age of the patients ranged from 18 to 85 years (mean 41.27±16.76). There were 172 (48.7%) females and 181 (51.3%) males. There was a significant difference between the genders (p=0.02), with males (53.5%) having more sinus pathoses than females (46.5%). When the left and right sinuses were considered together, pathoses were most commonly seen in the maxillary sinuses (57.1%), followed by the ethmoid (53.7 %), frontal (22.6%), and sphenoid sinuses (15.8%). Mucosal thickening was the most frequently observed abnormality (51.7%), followed by hypoplasia (17.5%) and sinusitis (17.3%).

Conclusion: CBCT is a preferable imaging method for evaluation of paranasal sinuses. Dentomaxillofacial radiologists should examine the whole volume of CBCT images to ensure they do not overlook paranasal sinus pathoses.