Computed Tomographic Analysis of Frontal Recess Cell Prevalence According to International Frontal Sinus Anatomy Classification

Authors : Atılay Yaylacı, Hasan Mervan Değer

Pages : 226-232

View : 33 | Download : 46

Publication Date : 2024-06-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Objective: To examine the prevalence of frontal recess (FR) cells based on the International Frontal Sinus Anatomy Classification (IFAC) in healthy sinuses, as well as evaluate the interrater agreement of the IFAC system. Methods: Five hundred nine adult patients with non-diseased paranasal sinuses on computed tomography (CT) were retrospectively included in this study. Two researchers independently identified FR cells on 1018 sides using triplanar CT reconstructions. The prevalence of each cell type was assessed, and interobserver agreement was measured using the Kappa coefficient (κ). Results: In our population, the agger nasi cell (ANC) had the highest prevalence (88.0%), followed by supra bulla cell (43.0%), supra agger cell (SAC) (25.0%), frontal septal cell (22.0%), supraorbital ethmoid cell (17.1%), supra agger frontal cell (SAFC) (8.3%), and supra bulla frontal cell (SBFC) (7.1%). Bilateral incidence was highest for the ANC (80.4%) and lowest for the SBFC (2.2%). The prevalence of most IFAC cells was similar between males and females, except in SAC (27.8% in females vs. 22.2% in males) and SAFC (11.6% in males vs. 5.1% in females). FR cells that pneumatize into the frontal sinus were observed in 28.6% of cases, with a significantly higher prevalence in male patients compared to females. Excellent interrater agreement was found for all FR cells, with κ values ranging from 0.94 to 1.0. Conclusion: The prevalence of FR cells demonstrates variations specific to the population. Gender differences appear to influence the presence of cells pneumatizing into the frontal sinus. The IFAC is a reliable tool for identifying cells in the FR. Keywords: International frontal sinus anatomy classification, sinus anatomy, frontal cells, computed tomograpy
Keywords : Uluslararası frontal sinüs anatomisi sınıflandırması, sinüs anatomisi, frontal hücreler, bilgisayarlı tomografi