The growth of the maxillary sinus continues until the 3rd decade in males and the 2nd decade in females. Therefore, a maxillary sinus operation affecting the bony structures before these ages might affect the development of the sinus and needs to be performed carefully.

The objectives of this study were to characterize the features of tinnitus in patients with profound sensorineural hearing loss and to evaluate the effect of cochlear implantation (CI) on their tinnitus. Medical records were reviewed for 35 patients who underwent CI, and completed tinnitus questionnaire between March 2003 and August 2011. Of them, 22 had tinnitus prior to CI (62.9 %) and the tinnitus group was older than the non-tinnitus group (47.5 ± 15.1 vs. 28.9 ± 15.2). The mean tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) score of the tinnitus group was 50.5 ± 28.7 before surgery, and the mean THI score and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores for loudness, annoyance, effect on life, and awareness decreased significantly after CI, with a mean follow-up period of 10.7 months. Tinnitus was completely eliminated in ten patients (45.5 %) and THI scores decreased in all patients. In a correlation analysis of the decrease in THI scores, preoperative VAS scores for loudness, awareness, effect on life, and annoyance, as well as preoperative THI scores, were highly correlated with the degree of decrease in THI scores postoperatively. The auditory performance of patients older than 40 years did not differ from that of younger patients, but their tinnitus was more improved after CI. In conclusion, tinnitus is a common complaint in patients with cochlear implants, and is more prevalent in elderly implantees. In the present study, CI improved tinnitus in all patients, although the most severe cases had the greatest benefit.

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Although there have been some reports that measured the size of mastoid pneumatization, only a few studies have reported the age-related variations in the mastoid air cell system using three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction techniques of computed tomography (CT) images. We performed a retrospective, cross-sectional study. A 3D reconstruction based on CT images was performed on 199 ears of 102 patients (age range 6-84 years) without otologic disease by a surface-rendering algorithm. The results showed that mastoid pneumatization continued to grow until the third decade. Thereafter, it declined slowly, and then rapidly after the seventh decade. No statistically significant difference was found between male and female or between right and left sides. There was a significant difference between the larger and smaller sides of individuals. The volume measurement technique based on the 3D reconstruction technique reported here is widely available, highly accurate and easy to perform.

Many otolaryngologists perform septoplasty with or without turbinate surgery and the surgical method relies largely on the surgeon's clinical judgment. This study used computed tomography (CT) of the sinuses of 20 patients to examine the correlation between a unilateral deviated nasal septum and compensatory hypertrophy of the contralateral inferior turbinate to suggest guidelines for septal and turbinate surgery. The thickness of the mucosa and conchal bone, the projection angle of the conchal bone, and the distances between the conchal bone, and lateral nasal line and median line were measured. The volume of the inferior turbinate was measured from the three-dimensional reconstruction. Each measurement was compared with those of the nasal cavity on the contralateral and of normal control subjects. The inferior turbinate on the concave side had a significantly greater volume, including the thickness of medial mucosa and the thickness and projection angle of conchal bone. Septoplasty and concomitant inferior turbinate surgery to manipulate conchal bone and soft tissues are necessary for treatment of those patients with unilateral nasal septal deviation and compensatory hypertrophy of the contralateral inferior turbinate.

This study examined whether a similarity in pneumatization exists between the mastoid air cells and PNS of individuals; these results may be useful in understanding the normal and pathological conditions of both structures.

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