Evaluation Of Sphenoid Sinus Volume And Cranial Base Length In Subjects With Different Sagittal Skeletal Malocclusions

Introduction: The most hidden and inaccessible of all the paranasal air sinuses is the sphenoid sinus, a cavity with an irregular shape that is situated in the middle of the cranial base. Since the anterior cranial base shows little growth after the age of 7, it is regarded as a stable reference for cephalometric analysis. Objective: The aim of this study was to predict skeletal malocclusion by correlating the length of the cranial base and the volume of the sphenoid sinus in different sagittal skeletal patterns.Materials and methodology: In this study, a total of 30 cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans of patients, aged between 18 and 35 years who underwent orthodontic and orthognathic treatment were evaluated. DICOM files from the CBCT scans were imported and viewed using Dolphin imaging software. Skeletal malocclusion was evaluated using a lateral cephalogram obtained from the CBCT. Volumetric analysis of the sphenoid sinus and length of the cranial base was evaluated with the help of the Dolphin imaging software. A normality test was done to decide the statistical method for data analysis. A one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test was done to compare the three groups. Results: There was a correlation noted between the volume of the sphenoid sinus in skeletal class II malocclusion but no correlation was noted in the length of the cranial base. The mean value of the volume of the sphenoid sinus in subjects with class II skeletal malocclusion was 12613.50± 2023.409 which was greater compared to the other skeletal malocclusions.Conclusion: Sphenoid sinus volume was reported to be increased in subjects with skeletal class II malocclusion but there was no correlation between the cranial base length and sphenoid sinus volume in any group.