Assessment of some important anatomical variations and dangerous areas of the paranasal sinuses by computed tomography in children

The purpose of this study is to determine important variations and areas of risk for major complications in paranasal computed tomography (CT). We als o made specific measurements for individual differences. This study consist ed of 64 children (128 sides). Eleven participants had coronal and axial, a nd the remaining 53 only coronal CT. The distance of the anterior ethmoidal artery (AEA) and the lamina cribrosa to the inferior turbinate and the orb ital roof, and the depth or the lamina cribrosa were measured. The percenta ges of some of the variations were as follows: upper attachment of uncinate process 25%, freely coursing AEA 43%, aerated anterior clinoids 8%. optic canal bulging 6% and extreme medially coursing carotid canal 3%. The freque ncies of some of these variations and the existence of Onodi cells were sig nificantly smaller than compared with adults. Specific measurements varied individually. In conclusion, children deserve more attention while evaluati ng CT, due to their tiny bony structures. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.