Cross-sectional observational study on accessory ostium of the maxillary sinus

Abstract

Background: The association between chronic sinusitis and accessory ostium (AO) is still a controversial subject as previous studies have given variable results with wider range. Methods: Present study was designed to study the prevalence of AO in those with chronic sinusitis and those without the disease; 83 chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients and 83 subjects without the disease were examined by diagnostic nasal endoscopy for the presence of accessory maxillary ostium. Results: Of the 83 CRS patients, 29% had an AO, whereas only 11% without the disease had it (P < 0.001). Most of the AOs were on the left side, especially in the posterior nasal fontanelle, in both groups. One unexposed subject and 5 patients had AOs on both sides. Double ostia were seen in 2% of CRS patients. However, symptoms such as facial pain, headache, purulence on examination, halitosis and post-nasal drip were found to have no specific association with the presence of AOs. Conclusions: The presence of an AO can be considered an indicator of the maxillary sinus disease, along with the other criteria for chronic sinusitis.