Paranasal Sinus System Research Articles

New Insights Into Mid‐Late Pleistocene Fossil Hominin Paranasal Sinus Morphology

Mid-late Pleistocene fossil hominins such as Homo neanderthalensis and H. heidelbergensis are often described as having extensively pneumatized crania compared with modern humans. However, the significance of pneumatization in recognizing patterns of phyletic diversification and/or functional specialization has remained controversial. Here, we test the null hypothesis that the paranasal sinuses of fossil and extant humans and great apes can be understood as biological spandrels, i.e., their morphology reflects evolutionary, developmental, and functional constraints imposed onto the surrounding bones. Morphological description of well-preserved mid-late Pleistocene hominin specimens are contrasted with our comparative sample of modern humans and great apes. Results from a geometric morphometric analysis of the correlation between paranasal sinus and cranial dimensions show that the spandrel hypothesis cannot be refuted. However, visualizing specific features of the paranasal sinus system with methods of biomedical imaging and computer graphics reveals new aspects of patterns of growth and development of fossil hominins.

Internal Anatomy of the Hornbill Casque Described by Radiography, Contrast Radiography, and Computed Tomography

Hornbills are distinguished from most other avian taxa by the presence of a casque on the dorsal maxillary beak, which, in all but 1 of the 54 extant hornbill species, is described as essentially an air-filled cavity enclosed by minimal cancellous bone. The external casque has been described in detail, but little has been described about its internal anatomy and the communications between the casque and the paranasal sinuses. In this study, 10 intact casque and skull specimens of 7 hornbill species were collected opportunistically at necropsy. The anatomy of the casque and the skull for each of the specimens was examined by radiography, contrast radiography, and computed tomography. After imaging, 8 specimens were submitted for osteologic preparation to directly visualize the casque and the skull interior. Through this standardized review, the baseline anatomy of the internal casque was described, including identification of a novel casque sinus within the paranasal sinus system. These observations will assist clinicians in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the casque in hornbill species.

COMMUNICATIONS OF NORMAL NASAL AND PARANASAL CAVITIES IN COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY OF HORSES

Heads from 15 male and female horses of various breeds and ages were examined with computed tomography under general anesthesia in dorsal recumbency. The main interest was the evaluation of the entire paranasal sinus system. Special attention was paid to the location, size, and shape of the conchomaxillary, nasomaxillary, frontomaxillary, and sphenopalatinal openings. The frontomaxillary opening was the largest aperture and was found to be age-dependent in size mostly. Orientation and shape of the openings were sagittal or horizontal; the narrowest of them was the slit-like nasomaxillary aperture. The thickness of the vascularized mucous membranes in the nasal cavity was obtained up to 6 mm; the surface was smooth and well defined. The paranasal lining was invisible in computed tomography (CT) images because of its thin layer. CT proved to be a very useful method for documentation of the paranasal openings and for evaluation of the state of the mucous membranes in the nasal and paranasal cavities.

Massa paranasal: dacrioestenose congênita? Relato de caso

O objetivo deste é descrever uma criança portadora de massa paranasal, atentando para a importância dos diagnósticos diferenciais. RELATO DO CASO: ACS, 6 meses, sexo feminino, desde o nascimento apresentando abaulamento não inflamatório, no canto medial do olho esquerdo, lacrimejamento e hiperemia no olho direito. Ao exame apresentava fenômeno de Bell negativo bilateral, lagoftalmo à direita, ulceração e opacidade corneana à direita; presença de lesão arredondada, de superfície lisa no canto medial do olho esquerdo, sem sinais inflamatórios, medindo aproximadamente 2 cm de diâmetro, não pulsátil. À palpação, a lesão era elevada, de consistência fibroelástica, imóvel, indolor, irredutível. À propedêutica das vias lacrimais, não havia refluxo à compressão, o teste de Milder foi negativo em ambos olhos e as vias apresentavam-se pérvias à dacriocistografia. O exame tomográfico revelou tratar-se de meningocele fronto-etmoidal. COMENTÁRIOS: Os autores chamam a atenção para a adequada semiologia para a investigação das massas paranasais, a fim de se instituir o adequado tratamento.

Mycoses of the paranasal sinus system

During the last few years, in increasing number of fungal infections in the paranasal sinus system has been observed. Aspergillus species as well as mucor and candida albicans are especially responsible for these mycoses. Twenty-seven cases of a fungal infection of the paranasal sinuses were observed between 1986 and 1997. The majority of the patients showed a chronic noninvasive form with affection of the maxillary sinus. Other forms (fulminant invasive form, chronic invasive form, allergic fungal sinusitis) are described. Typical features for fungal infection do exist in MRI and CT. A flexible therapeutic strategy is required in which appropriate pharmacologic and surgical options are tailored to the respective clinical picture.

Kallman syndrome versus idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism at MR imaging.

To identify morphologic differences between Kallman syndrome (KS) and idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) and establish a role for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in these disorders. Twenty-eight patients were compared with 10 eugonal male volunteers. Eighteen patients had KS (hypogonadotropic hypogonadism with anosmia) and 10 had IHH. All participants underwent hormone analysis, a sniff-bottle smell test, and gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging. Changes in the hypothalamic-hypophyseal region and the rhinencephalon were evaluated. MR imaging revealed intracranial morphologic changes in all patients on plain T1-weighted sections. Seventeen patients with KS demonstrated aplasia of an olfactory bulb; one olfactory sulcus was absent in six, rudimentary in four, and normal in eight. Olfactory bulbs were present in all 10 IHH patients and three showed one slightly hypoplastic bulb. Ten patients with KS and three with IHH showed an enlarged paranasal sinus system. Further MR findings were similar. MR imaging demonstrates abnormalities of the rhinencephalon present in KS patients and occasionally absent in IHH patients.

Involvement of the orbit in diseases of the paranasal sinuses

A brief description of the anatomical relationship between the orbit and the paranasal sinus system is given. Sinus infections, celes, and tumors which can lead to orbital complications are described.