Is There a Relationship Between Maxillary Sinus's Inferior Pneumatisation and Sinonasal Variations? A Retrospective CBCT Study.

Objectives: This retrospective study aims to analyse alveolar and palatal process pneumatisation and their relationships with sinonasal variations using cone-beam computed tomography.

Material and methods: The study included 500 patients aged 18 to 87 years, involving 1000 maxillary sinuses with cone-beam computed tomography scans. We examined the relationship between inferior maxillary pneumatisation and the following anatomic variations: Haller cell, concha bullosa, paradoxical concha, bifid concha, and septal deviation.

Results: Among the 1000 maxillary sinuses assessed, we found 223 (22.3%) with alveolar process pneumatisation (APP), 37 (3.7%) with palatal process pneumatisation (PPP), and 23 (2.3%) with the presence of both APP and PPP. Significant relationships were observed between the Haller cell (P = 0.005), nasal septum deviation (P = 0.000), and middle concha bullosa (P = 0.01) with APP. However, there were no significant relationships between the paradoxical middle concha (P = 0.07), bifid middle concha (P = 0.74), and APP. Similarly, significant relationships were observed between the Haller cell (P = 0.001), paradoxical middle concha (P = 0.009), bifid middle concha (P = 0.000), and PPP. However, there were no significant relationships between concha bullosa (P = 0.799) and PPP. Additionally, we found significant relationships between the Haller cell (P = 0.003) and the presence of both APP and PPP.

Conclusions: This study provides an anatomical basis for imaging diagnosis by investigating the frequency of inferior pneumatisation of the maxillary sinus and its relationship with certain sinonasal variations.