Anatomical variations of the frontal sinus and its relationship with the orbital cavity

Abstract

The anatomy of the frontal sinus is highly variable and its variations affect the occurrence/course of pathological processes. We investigated its size and relationship to the orbit, searching for patterns that would allow it to be classified anatomically. Cone beam computed tomography was applied to 91 skulls (age range 21-86 years) to determine sinus height, width, length, and length of contact with the orbit in the coronal and sagittal planes. In addition, orbital roof pneumatization in the coronal plane was categorized as: none; only medial part pneumatized; the medial and a portion of the central part pneumatized; roof predominantly pneumatized. Sinus dimensions varied widely (mm): height 6.2-50.0; width 3.7-54.0; length 2.4-45.0; frontal orbital contact 4.0-41.6; sagittal orbital contact 0.0-41.2. Pneumatization of the orbital roof (coronal plane) mostly affected the medial and a portion of the central part (50%), or the roof was predominantly pneumatized (32%). Three "types" of sinus (cluster analysis) were distinguished by the extent of pneumatization of the orbital roof in the coronal plane: "small", pneumatization absent or only of the medial part; "medium-sized", pneumatization of the medial and a portion of the central part; "large", roof predominantly pneumatized. All dimensions were significantly different among the types (P < 0.001). Sinus type was fairly predictive of the extent of contact with the orbit in the sagittal plane (not routinely assessed clinically). The data confirm the variability of frontal sinus anatomy and suggest a simple and straightforward classification with potential clinical relevance. Clin. Anat. 31:576-582, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Biological relationships and frontal sinus similarity in skeletal remains with known genealogical data

“…The variability of their patterns (i.e. configuration, shape, anatomical variations, dimensions) is wide (Szilvássy, 1982; Guerram et al ., 2014; Lund et al ., 2014; Choby et al ., 2018; Štoković et al ., 2018). Because these sinuses are encased in the solid frontal bone, they are usually preserved in archaeological contexts and we can evaluate them even if the overall preservation of skeletal remains is poor (Cameriere et al ., 2008; Goyal et al ., 2013).…”

Anatomical variations of frontal sinus pneumatization: A computed tomography-based study

“…6 The anatomical variations of the frontal sinus morphology have been reported in various populations worldwide. 1,[7][8][9][10][11][12] These studies have confirmed that climate and geography influence the frontal sinus morphology differences between the populations. In addition, few studies have demonstrated sexual dimorphism in frontal sinus anatomic variations.…”

Wormian Bone of the Orbit: A Case Report

“…An understanding of the anatomical variations in the orbit is clinically important as, for example, the wormian bones might simulate fractures on imaging of the orbit or may get dislodged during surgical manipulation causing injury to the nerves, blood vessels, and the eyeball [ 9 , 14 - 16 ].…”