Complicated acute sinusitis and the computed tomography anatomy of the ostiomeatal unit in childhood

The ostiomeatal unit is postulated to be a critical area in the pathogenesi s of sinus disease and accurate assessment of this anatomical area has made possible by the coronal computed tomography (CT) scan. Data from the CT sc ans of 24 patients with complications of acute sinusitis were retrospective ly reviewed and compared with a set of normative data of the infundibular l ength, and width and the uncinate angle in 196 scans of healthy children. I n the patients with complicated sinusitis the infundibular length was found to be less and the infundibular width greater than the normative data. No difference in the mean uncinate angle of the two groups was shown. One, the refore, has to assume that the pathological process at the ostiomeatal unit is more likely to be mucosal than bony. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Sci ence Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.