Frequency of the odontogenic maxillary sinusitis extended to the anterior ethmoid sinus and response to surgical treatment.

OBJECTIVES: Odontogenic sinusitis usually affects the maxillary sinus but may extend to the anterior ethmoid sinuses. The purpose of this study is to determine the percentage of odontogenic maxillary sinusitis extended to the anterior ethmoid sinuses and determine also the surgical resolution differences between odontogenic maxillary sinusitis and odontogenic maxillary associated to anterior ethmoidal sinusitis. STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective cohort study performed on 55 patients diagnosed of odontogenic sinusitis and treated surgically by functional endoscopic sinus surgery. RESULTS: This study showed that 52.7% of odontogenic maxillary sinusitis spreads to anterior ethmoid, causing added anterior ethmoid sinusitis. We found that 92.3% of the odontogenic maxillary sinusitis (who underwent middle meatal antrostomy) and 96.5% of the odontogenic maxillary sinusitis extended to the anterior ethmoid (treated with middle meatal antrostomy and anterior ethmoidectomy) were cured. CONCLUSION: Ethmoid involvement is frequent in maxillary odontogenic sinusitis. The ethmoid involvement does not worsen the results of "functional endoscopic sinus surgery" applied to the odontogenic sinusitis.

A new score for airway assessment using clinical and ultrasound parameters.

Background: Over the last few years, ultrasonography has been introduced as the fifth pillar to patient's bedside physical examination. Clinical assessments aim to screen and look for airway difficulties to predict difficult intubations, but none have demonstrated a significant predictive capacity. Recent systematic reviews have established a correlation between ultrasound imaging and difficult direct laryngoscopy. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether the utilization of ultrasonography to examine the upper airway could accurately predict difficult direct laryngoscopy. Methods: This is a prospective observational study including 102 adult patients that required general anesthesia for elective surgery. Preoperatively, clinical airway assessments were performed. Data such as Mallampati-Samsoon grade (MS), upper lip bite test (ULBT), thyromental (TMD) and sternomental distance (SMD), cervical circumference (CC) and the Arné risk index were collected. Ultrasound evaluation was taken at five different levels in two planes, parasagittal and transverse. Therefore, the following measurements were registered: distance from skin to hyoid bone (DSHB), distance from skin to thyrohyoid membrane (DSTHM), distance from skin to epiglottis (DSE), distance from skin to thyroid cartilage (DSTC) and distance from hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage (DHBTC). Patients were divided into two groups based on the difficulty to perform direct laryngoscopy, according to Cormack-Lehane (C-L) classification. Grades I and II were classified as easy laryngoscopy and grades III or IV as difficult. Logistic regression models and the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was employed to determine the diagnostic precision of ultrasound measurements to distinguish difficult laryngoscopy (DL). Results: The following risk score for DL was obtained, DSTHM ≥ 1.60 cm (2 points), DSTC ≥ 0.78 cm (3 points) and gender (2 points for males). The score can range from 0 to 7 points, and showed and AUC (95% CI) of 0.84 (0.74-0.95). A score of 5 points or higher indicates a 34-fold increase in the risk of finding DL (p = 0.0010), sensitivity of 91.67, specificity of 75.56, positive predictive value of 33.33, and negative predictive value of 98.55. Conclusion: The use of ultrasonography combined with classic clinical screening tests are useful tools to predict difficult direct laryngoscopy.