Radiological Analysis of Frontal Cells and its Association with Frontal Sinus Mucosal Disease: A Tertiary Care Hospital Based Study

Abstract

Introduction

The frontal sinus and frontal recess both have complex anatomy causing difficulty during endoscopic sinus surgeries. The term frontal cells is currently used to describe a group of anterior ethmoidal cells classified by Kuhn et al into 4 types. Though there are precise descriptions, the frequency of frontal sinus cells (FSCs) varies widely in the literature. The presence of FSCs is responsible for a narrowing of the frontal sinus outflow tract which subsequently causes a partial obstruction of drainage and aeration of the frontal sinus. Our main aim is to the see the distribution of different frontal cells in Nepali population and relation with frontal sinus mucosal disease.

Materials and Methods

This prospective, longitudinal study performed in 110 consecutive patients who underwent CT scan of nose and paranasal sinuses. The frontal cells and agger nasi cells were identified and association between the frontal cells and agger nasi cells with frontal sinus mucosal disease was analyzed with chi square test.

Results

The agger nasi was present in 83.63% CT scans whereas frontal cells were distributed in 61.82% CT (computed tomogram) scans. There was not statistical significance and any association between the frontal cells and agger nasi cells with frontal sinus mucosal disease.

Conclusion

The frontal cells and agger nasi cells distribution in Nepalese population, even though in small sample size, is similar with other studies in the literature. There is also non association of either frontal cells or agger nasi cells with frontal sinus mucosal disease.