Analyses of paranasal sinuses volumes by the age and gender

The paranasal sinuses are four pairs of cavities formed by the embedding of the nasal mucosa into the bones. These cavities are designated as the frontal sinus, sphenoidal sinus, maxillary sinus and ethmoidal cells. The sinuses play an important role in the pathogenesis of diseases and are one of the most common sites of anatomical variation in the human body. Computed tomography (CT) is used to determine the boundaries of the paranasal sinuses. The Cavalieri principle enables the precise and expeditious estimation of the volumes of non-uniform structures, such as the paranasal sinuses. The primary objective of this study was to retrospectively examine the paranasal sinuses volumes according to age and gender and to assess the impact of nasal septum deviation (NSD) on the volumes. For this study, CT images of individuals admitted to Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University Hospital were scanned. The age, gender and diagnosis of the individuals were determined via the Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS). A total of 281 individuals were included in the study, of which 151 were female and 130 were male. The images downloaded from SECTRA were identified using the ImageJ program. The following section presents the results of the calculations and measurements conducted in each area. The area of each section was calculated, and volume measurements were made using the Cavalieri principle. The results demonstrated that the sinus volumes of males were significantly larger than those of females (p<0.05). It was found that the volume of the left frontal sinus in males was larger than that of the right side (p<0.05). The volumes of the left maxillary sinus in the 0-17 and 18-45 age groups were found to be larger than those in individuals over 65 years old (p<0.05). The right maxillary sinus volumes of the 18-45 age group were observed to be larger than those of individuals over 65 years old (p<0.05). The left frontal sinus volume in the 46-65 age group was significantly larger than the right side (p<0.05). The presence of NSD, right, left or S-shaped sinuses did not significantly affect the sinus volumes (p>0.05). In the present study, the sinus volumes of male individuals were found to be larger. The maxillary sinus volumes of adult age groups are larger compared to those over 65 years old. These results may facilitate surgical planning and minimize the potential for complications. Keywords: Frontal Sinus, Sphenoidal Sinus, Maxillary Sinus, Volume, Cavalieri principle