The development of computed tomography (CT) technique results in the advance in visualization of the anatomic structures of the lateral nasal wall. It allows the anatomic variations of this region to be identified precisely, which is important in surgical treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of anatomic variations of the lateral nasal wall in a group of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis. The preoperative, frontal plane CT scans of the study group were evaluated using the method of the four-zone interpretation. The incidence of the anatomic variations of the lateral nasal wall was consistent with the results reported by other authors.

The aim of the study was to define the characteristic changes revealed by computed tomography (CT) examination of the paranasal sinuses in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). The group of 30 CF patients was evaluated in the outpatient clinic of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medical University of Warsaw, from 1996 to 1998. The control group consisted of 30 patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). CT scans were obtained from both groups of patients, and findings revealed more advanced pathological changes in the CF than CRS group. The extensive inflammatory process observed in CT scans of CF patients resulted in the impairment of frontal and maxillary sinus development, destruction of bony structures, and medial projection of the lateral nasal wall.

Massive nasal polyposis, dilated base of the nose, mucociliary clearance impairment, and significant radiological changes (frontal and maxillary sinus hypoplasia, bony destruction, and medial bulging of the lateral nasal wall) were identified to be the characteristic signs of the CRS in CF patients.

No abstract