Osteomeatal Complex: A Study of Its Anatomical Variation Among Patients Attending North Bengal Medical College and Hospital.

Abstract

Lateral nasal wall of each nasal cavity provides the final common pathway of drainage of the mucociliary clearance of frontal, maxillary and anterior ethmoidal air cells. Anatomical variants like concha bullosa, Haller cells, agger nasi cells, enlarged bulla ethmoidalis may obstruct the mucociliary clearance through osteomeatal complex and cause rhino sinusitis. The objectives were to find out the anatomical variation of osteomeatal complex and its dimensions when present. The present study was a descriptive, hospital based cross sectional study carried out in the outpatient departments of North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, West Bengal, India, among patients aged 15years and above. Coronal CT scan of paranasal sinus and orbit region was done. Data was collected with the help of semi structured predesigned and pretested questionnaire. Of the 44 study patients, 15.9% had concha bullosa, 11.36% had paradoxical middle concha, 27.3% had Haller cell, 18.2% had agger nasi cell. Lateral attachment and medial free margin of uncinate process were also measured in respect to medial body line. 77.3, 59.1 and 47.7% had sneezing, rhinorrhoea and headache respectively. The harmony of mucociliary clearance and obstruction free osteomeatal complex is the key factor for ventilation and drainage of maxillary, frontal and anterior ethmoidal air cells.