MAXILLARY SINUS INFLAMMATORY DISEASE - ULTRASOUND COMPARED TO COMPUTED-TOMOGRAPHY

Fifty-six patients (age range, 15-79 yr, average, 37.0 +/- 18.5 yr), w ith a clinical and/or radiological diagnosis of acute maxillary sinusi tis, were prospectively studied with ultrasound (US) and-computed tomo graphy (CT). The imaging finding which supported the diagnosis of acut e sinusitis with US was the identification of the hyperechoic posterio r antral wall through the hypoechoic inflammation. The findings were c ompared to CT (3 mm axial sections). The sensitivity of US for maxilla ry sinus disease was found to be 66.7% and the specificity was 94.9%, which were similar to the plain film ones (65.2 and 96.8%, respectivel y). The results of the present study suggest US as the method of first choice for acute sinusitis of the maxillary antra, particularly for c hildren and pregnant women. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.