The association of superior attachment of uncinate process with pneumatization of middle turbinate: a computed tomographic analysis.

The frontal sinus outflow pathway is complex and can be influenced by the configuration of the uncinate process (UP). The UP can attach superior to the lamina papyracea, skull base, and middle turbinate. The factors associated with superior attachment remain unclear. This study analyzed the relationships between different types of superior UP attachment and characteristics of the surrounding structures including the agger nasi cell, skull base, and middle turbinate. This retrospective study utilized computed tomography images of 836 sides with identifiable sinus structure from 434 Taiwanese patients. Types of superior UP attachment, height of the ethmoid cribriform plate, prevalence of agger nasi cell, and degree of pneumatization of the middle turbinate were analyzed. In the current study, neither the presence of an agger nasi cell nor height of the cribriform plate had significant relationship with superior UP attachment type. However, UP attachment type was statistically significantly associated with pneumatized middle turbinate (PMT) type (p < 0.01). The PMT group had a higher incidence of UP attachment to the middle turbinate (38%) than the non-PMT group (18%). In the extensive PMT group, the incidence of UP attachment to the middle turbinate was high to 49%. In conclusion, superior UP attachment to the middle turbinate was associated with pneumatization of the middle turbinate. The UP has a greater tendency to attach to the middle turbinate in cases with more PMT.

Assessing the relationship of agger nasi pneumatization to the lacrimal sac: a dynamic computed tomography-dacryocystography analysis.

Background: An understanding of the anatomical structure is crucial for completing successful endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) surgery. This study aimed to precisely delineate the spatial relationship between the lacrimal sac and the agger nasi cell (ANC) and evaluate the impact of ANC on surgical strategies in endoscopic DCR. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included 110 Han Chinese patients diagnosed with unilateral primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction (PANDO) from January 2021 to June 2023. This study was conducted in Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital of Fudan University and involved inpatient participants who were scheduled for DCR surgery under general anesthesia. Patients were consecutively enrolled. The patients underwent preoperative computed tomography-dacryocystography (CT-DCG), and contrast-enhanced images were used to locate the positions of the lacrimal sac and the common canaliculus. A dynamic approach was adopted to analyze the multiplanar CT imaging, facilitating a detailed assessment of the morphology of the lacrimal drainage system and potential overlap of the lacrimal sac. Patient ages and measured values are presented as the mean ± standard deviation, which were measured three times by the same observer and averaged for statistical analysis. Results: The prevalence of ANC in this study was 90.9% (100/110). Dynamic examination revealed that only 42.7% (47/110) of ANCs appeared as discrete cells, while the majority were connected to nearby sinus openings. Spatial analysis showed that in 57 out of 110 cases, ANCs were situated below the common canaliculus and not posterior to the lacrimal sac, indicating an overlap rate of 51.8%. Notably, our dynamic approach identified five critical cases of overlap below the level of the common canaliculus, which might have been missed by prior studies that used different methodologies. Conclusions: More than half of the ANCs exhibited overlap with the lacrimal sac, suggesting a significant proportion may necessitate opening during endoscopic DCR procedures. ANCs are often interconnected with adjacent nasal sinuses, necessitating careful consideration in the decision to open the ANCs during surgery. The dynamic evaluation employed in CT-DCG effectively assessed the extent of ANC coverage over the lacrimal sac.

The Relationship Between the Width of the Frontal Recess and the Frontal Recess Cells in Japanese Patients.

OBJECTIVE: The agger nasi cell (ANC) is an easily identifiable landmark when approaching the frontal sinus. The success of endoscopic frontal sinus surgery may be influenced by the width of the frontal recess (FR). The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between the FR width and the ANC size in Japanese patients. In addition, the effect of various frontal recess cells (FRCs) on the development of frontal sinusitis has been examined. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Multiplanar computed tomography (CT) scans of the nasal cavities and paranasal sinuses in 95 patients (190 sides) before endoscopic sinus surgery were reviewed. The presence of FRCs, the thickness of the frontal beak (FB), the ANC size, and the anterior-to-posterior (A-P) length of the frontal isthmus (FI) and FR were evaluated in patients with and without frontal sinusitis. RESULTS: The prevalence of the ANC, frontal cell types 1, 2, 3, and 4, frontal bullar cell (FBC), suprabullar cell, supraorbital ethmoid cell, and interfrontal sinus septal cell was 85.3%, 11.6%, 0%, 7.9%, 0%, 25.3%, 45.8%, 16.8%, and 15.3%, respectively. The ANC volume showed a significant positive correlation with the A-P length of the FI and FR. The incidence of frontal sinusitis in the patients with FBCs was significantly higher than that without FBCs. CONCLUSION: A large ANC offers a greater potential to facilitating the approach to the frontal sinus because of the extensiveness of the FR in Japanese patients. The presence of FBCs may be related to a higher incidence of frontal sinusitis.

Endoscopic and Radiologic Findings in Failed Dacryocystorhinostomy: Teaching Pearls for Success.

BACKGROUND: Although several studies have commented on causes of dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) failure, detailed description of anatomical findings in such cases remains insufficient. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was primarily to analyze radiologic, endoscopic, and intraoperative findings in patients presenting with failed DCR and secondarily to assess the outcome of revision endoscopic DCR (endo-DCR) carried out at our institution. METHODS: Twenty-four failed DCRs presenting to our tertiary care center were retrospectively analyzed. Data collection included patients' history, diagnostic, and management data, as well as thorough analysis of sinonasal CT scans, along with endoscopic and intraoperative findings. Outcome was also assessed in 21 cases with revision endo-DCR performed. RESULTS: The anterior part of uncinate process was not previously removed in 15 sides (62.5%), with unopened agger nasi in 13 sides (54.2%). The lacrimal bone was detected covering the posterior sac despite removal of the anterior ascending process of maxilla in 9 sides (37.5%). Rhinostoma was anterior to lacrimal sac in 2 sides (8.3%) and was below the sac in 7 sides (29.2%). Fibrous membrane covered the rhinostoma despite removal of all sac-overlying bones in 6 sides (25%). Other findings included intranasal adhesions, septal deviation, lateralized middle turbinate, granulation tissue, foreign body reaction, and chronic sinusitis. Nineteen of the 21 revision endo-DCRs were successful (90.5%). CONCLUSION: This study provides a precise anatomical description of findings in cases of failed DCR. Such information is paramount in helping surgeons enhance their learning curve, refine the surgical technique, and improve patients' outcome.

Anatomy of lacrimal sac fossa affecting success rate in DCR surgery / Шинэ санаа Шинэ нээлт

Background@#Primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction (PANDO) is a common cause of epiphora in adults, standard surgery for blockage of the lacrimal outflow tract is the dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR). The majority of studies have analyzed the lacrimal system of whites anatomically and presented guidelines for endonasal DCR. It has been our experience that DCR procedures for Asians are more difficult than for whites and we reasoned that the difficulty might be attributable to the anatomic differences in the intranasal structures between the races. Before we started doing endoscopic endonasal DCR in Mongolia, there was no hospital doing this surgery and there was lack of study done on anatomy of lacrimal fossa and DCR surgery result among Mongolians are our rationale of study.@*Goal@#To study the effect of anatomical variance of lacrimal sac fossa on dacryocystorhinostomies performed by the endoscopic endonasal approach.@*Methods@#METHODS: A total of 292 consecutive cases of DCR were performed age between 16-75 years old who have primary nasolacrimal obstruction (ICD-H04.559). This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences. A total of 146 EX-DCR and 146 EN-DCR patients were identified. Full success was defined as no symptoms of tearing after surgery and anatomical patency with lacrimal irrigation. Standard Lac-Q questionnaire was used to compare satisfaction of the surgery in both groups. All statistical tests were two-sided, and a p-value of <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA for Windows version 11.2.@*Results@#There was no significant difference in age or gender distribution between the two groups. Frontal process of the maxillary bone is 4.41± 1.96 mm in successful group and 4.97± 1.04 in failed group (p<0.05). The uncinate process was attached to the lacrimal sac fossa in 80.1% of the all cases and 100% in surgery failed group (p<0.05). The variation that agger nasi cell adjacent to the lacrimal sac fossa was in 93.9%. The operculum of the middle turbinate was attached to the lacrimal sac fossa in 94.5% of the cases (p=0.76). Postoperative assessment was performed for 6 months. Patients who underwent endonasal group reported a 11.0-point improvement (IQR, 9.0–16.5). @*Conclusions@#A thick frontal process of the maxilla and uncinate process, operculum of the middle turbinate, and ethmoid cells adjusting to lacrimal fossa are dominant in Mongolians. Patients who have these features are prone to have recurrence of nasolacrimal duct obstruction after DCR surgery. The EN-DCR have a high surgical success rate and good result on reduce of symptoms and improvement in quality of life by using the Lac-Q standard questionnaire.

Evaluation of variations in sinonasal region with computed tomography.

AIM: To investigate the frequency of anatomical variations in sinonasal region and association of these variations with mucosal diseases. METHODS: The study included 400 cases (191 female and 209 male) who were considered to have preliminary diagnoses of sinonasal pathology and who had paranasal sinus computed tomography (CT) examination in axial plane. Reformatted CT images were studied in all planes. RESULTS: Age range of the patients was 20-83 (mean 40.26 ± 14.85). Most commonly detected anatomical variation was Agger nasi cell (74.8%). There was a significant association between clinoid process pneumatization and protrusion of internal carotid arteries and optic nerves into sphenoid sinus (P < 0.001). Besides, the relationships between pterygoid process pneumatization and protrusion of vidian nerve into sphenoid sinus, and between pneumatization of large sphenoid wing and protrusion of maxillary nerves into sphenoid sinus were also significant (P < 0.001). Uncinate bulla and giant ethmoid bulla were found to be significantly associated with sinonasal mucosal diseases (P = 0.004 and P = 0.002, respectively). CONCLUSION: Sinonasal region has a great number of variations, and some of them have been determined to be associated with sinonasal mucosal disease. It is necessary to know that some of these variations are associated with protrusion of significant structures such as carotid artery or optic nerve into the sinus and care should be observed in surgeries on patients carrying these variations.

Anatomic Considerations in Frontal Sinus Surgery.

Comprehension of the complex anatomic variants comprising the frontal sinus outflow tract is essential for successful surgical intervention. Deviation from sound technique increases the potential for a variety of deleterious sequelae, including recurrent disease as well as catastrophic intracranial and orbital injury. Furthermore, incomplete removal of elements occluding the frontal recess can result in severe stenosis that can increase the difficulty of further interventions. This review covers anatomic considerations that should be kept in mind when performing frontal sinus surgery.

Anatomy of lacrimal sac fossa affecting success rate in endoscopic and external dacryocystorhinostomy surgery / Монголын Анагаах Ухаан

Introduction@#Primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction (PANDO) is a common cause of epiphora in adults, standard surgery for blockage of the lacrimal outflow tract is the dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR). The majority of studies have analyzed the lacrimal system of whites anatomically and presented guidelines for endonasal DCR. It has been our experience that DCR procedures for Asians are more difficult than for whites and we reasoned that the difficulty might be attributable to the anatomic differences in the intranasal structures between the races. Before we started doing endoscopic endonasal DCR in Mongolia, there was no hospital doing this surgery and there was lack of study done on anatomy of lacrimal fossa and DCR surgery result among Mongolians are our rationale of study.@*Goal@#To study the effect of anatomical variance of lacrimal sac fossa on dacryocystorhinostomies performed by the endoscopic endonasal approach.@*Material and Methods@#A total of 292 consecutive cases of DCR were performed age between 16-75 years old who have primary nasolacrimal obstruction (ICD-H04.559). This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences. A total of 146 EX-DCR and 146 EN-DCR patients were identified. Full success was defined as no symptoms of tearing after surgery and anatomical patency with lacrimal irrigation. Standard Lac-Q questionnaire was used to compare satisfaction of the surgery in both groups. All statistical tests were two-sided, and a p-value of <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA for Windows version 11.2.@*Results@#There was no significant difference in age or gender distribution between the two groups. Frontal process of the maxillary bone is 4.41± 1.96 mm in successful group and 4.97± 1.04 in failed group (p<0.05). The uncinate process was attached to the lacrimal sac fossa in 80.1% of the all cases and 100% in surgery failed group (p<0.05). The variation that agger nasi cell adjacent to the lacrimal sac fossa was in 93.9%. The operculum of the middle turbinate was attached to the lacrimal sac fossa in 94.5% of the cases (p=0.76). Postoperative assessment was performed for 6 months. Patients who underwent endonasal group reported a 11.0-point improvement (IQR, 9.0–16.5). @*Conclusions@#A thick frontal process of the maxilla and uncinate process, operculum of the middle turbinate, and ethmoid cells adjusting to lacrimal fossa are dominant in Mongolians. Patients who have these features are prone to have recurrence of nasolacrimal duct obstruction after DCR surgery. The EN-DCR have a high surgical success rate and good result on reduce of symptoms and improvement in quality of life by using the Lac-Q standard questionnaire.

Endoscopic Frontal Sinus Surgery through the Agger Nasi Cell / 中国微创外科杂志

Objective To discuss the effectiveness of endoscopic frontal sinus surgery through the agger nasi cell. Methods Twenty-seven patients with chronic frontal sinusitis were treated with endoscopic frontal sinus surgery. The frontal sinus was opened by resecting the agger nasi cell. Results The frontal sinus were opened successfully in all the patients. No complications occurred except periorbital bruising in 3 eyes. Nasendoscopy showed that the frontal sinus drainage pathway was normal after the operation. During a 6-month follow-up, the symptoms of the frontal sinus disappeared in 18 of the patients, improved in 7, and were not changed in 2. Conclusions Endoscopic frontal sinus surgery through the agger nasi cell is effective for chronic frontal sinusitis.The method is worth being widely used.