Preoperative evaluation of the frontal sinus (FS) and associated anatomical structures may reduce the risk of intraoperative complications and facilitate the management of potential complications. In this study, the authors aimed to evaluate relationship between FS pneumatization and critical anatomical structures. Paranasal sinus computerized tomography scans of 350 sides of 175 patients were evaluated. The pneumatization pattern of the FS, FS dimensions (on the axial, coronal, and sagittal slices), anterior ethmoidal artery, and depth of the of olfactory fossa were evaluated for every patient on both sides. There were 111 (63.4%) male and 64 (36.6%) female patients. The authors found a statistically significant correlation between the depth of olfactory fossa and the anterior ethmoidal artery position (P <0.001). As the FS pneumatization increases, the likelihood of the anterior ethmoid artery to run separately from the skull base also increases. Also, there was a statistically significant difference among the types in terms of the depth of the olfactory fossa (Kruskal-Wallis P = 0.002). The depth of the olfactory fossa increases depending on the increase of FS pneumatization.Our study shows that the olfactory fossa depth (skull-base depth) increases as FS pneumatization increases. In light of this information, the evaluation of the preoperative sinus computerized tomography scans will help in performing safer endoscopic sinus surgeries.

No abstract

Non-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFPAs), or as recently suggested, "non-functioning pituitary neuroendocrine tumors," are benign hypophyseal neoplasms that originate from adenohypophyseal cells. 1 NFPAs are not related to clinical or biochemical evidence of hormonal excess. 1,2 The lack of clinical symptoms of hormonal hypersecretion generally causes a delay in diagnosis. Therefore, NFPAs are commonly diagnosed when they are large enough to have mass effects on surrounding neurovascular structures. 1 The sphenoid sinus (SS) has a great importance as the gateway to the pituitary fossa during transnasal transsphenoidal surgery. It varies in size and shape and is located in the centre of the skull base. Various sinus and non-sinus diseases may affect the SS and can manifest in ways such as mucosal thickening, fluid collection, and partial or total opacification on radiologic imaging modalities.Isolated SS pathologies are relatively rare, and among patients with rhinosinusitis, isolated sphenoiditis incidence was reported as 1% to 3%. 3 Moreover, in a population-based study conducted on healthy individuals aged 50-65 years, SS mucosal thickening was detected in only 136 of 1963 sinuses (7%) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. 4

No abstract

Spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) otorrhea frequently occurs without temporal bone trauma, fracture, surgery, or any identifiable causes. It is usually associated with tegmen tympani defects of the temporal bone in adults. The congenital origin theory and the arachnoid granulation theory have been accepted to explain the tegmen tympani defect. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) are used to show the defects, brain tissue, and the meninges. We recently encountered three cases of spontaneous CSF otorrhea with a defect on the tegmental plate of the temporal bone. High-resolution CT (HRCT) scan of the temporal bones showed the tegmen tympani defects. The defects were successfully repaired with temporal muscle fascia or fascia lata graft and fibrin glue using the middle cranial fossa approach via craniotomy.