OBJECTIVEThe purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of frontoethmoidal cells in normal Chinese subjects.

METHODSTwo hundred and two Chinese subjects without symptoms of frontal sinus disease were undergone spiral computed tomography (CT). The multiplanar reconstruction images were evaluated using a standard triplanar reconstruction protocol on a computer workstation.

RESULTSThere were 121 males and 81 females. The mean age was (39.4 +/- 13.5) years. Of all the frontal cells identified in 159 sides (39.4%) of frontal recesses, the prevalence of type I, type II, type III and type cells were 24.3% (98 sides), 6.9% (28 sides), 8.2% (33 sides) and 0% (0 side) respectively. Suprabulbar cell, supraorbital ethmoid cells, and frontal bulbar cell were identified in 148 sides (36.6%) Jian-hu, 22 sides (5.4%), and 36 sides (8.9%) respectively. While the interfrontal septal cells was found in 25 patients (12.4%). The prevalence of agger nasi cell was 94. 1% (380 sides). Two hundred and forty-four uncinate processes (60.4%) had one superior attachment for each uncinate process; the other 160 uncinate processes (39.6%) had two superior attachments for each uncinate process. The single superior attachment of the uncinate process into the surrounding structures was identified to have the following distribution: 53.0% (n=214) to the lamina papyracea, 5.2% (n=21) to the middle turbinate, 2.2% (n=9) to the skull base. Most of the uncinate process' two superior attachments were either into the lamina papyracea and the skull base (27.5%, n=111) or into the lamina papyracea and the middle turbinate (8.7%, n=35). The other 14 uncinate processes (3.5%) superiorly attached to the skull base and the middle turbinate. The prevalence of recessus terminalis was 89.1% (n=360).

CONCLUSIONThe result demonstrated the normal frontal recess pneumatization patterns in normal Chinese.