OBJECTIVE: A three-dimensional morphology of the maxillary sinus was reconstructed. We studied the relationship between sinusitis and three-dimensional morphology, volume as well as gasification coefficients. METHOD: One hundred and fifty adult subjects were selected in this study, and divided into three groups: normal bilateral maxillary sinus, unilateral maxillary sinusitis and bilateral maxillary sinusitis, with fifty cases in each group. Use Siemens helix CT for sequential scanning of the nasal-sinus. After scanning, the DICOM data was recorded in DVD-R and transferred into another computer for reconstruction and measurement. RESULT: The volume of the normal maxillary sinus group was (15 018.64 +/- 473.36) mm3. The volume of the maxillary sinusitis group was (14 971.86 +/- 360.93)mm3. There was no significant difference between the values of volumes for the normal maxillary sinus group and maxillary sinusitis group. The gasification coefficient was 0.345 +/- 0.071 for the normal maxillary sinus group, 0.252 +/- 0.057 for the maxillary sinusitis group. There was significant difference between the two groups. CONCLUSION Maxillary sinus reconstruction permits more vivid visualization of the three-dimensional structure and three-dimensional shape of the maxillary sinus. The occurrence of the maxillary sinusitis is closely related to the three-dimensional shape of the maxillary sinus and the gasification coefficient measured. The more regular the three-dimensional shape of the maxillary sinus, with the gasification coefficient >0.300, the lower the probability of the maxillary sinusitis. Otherwise, the probability increases. Adult inflammation of maxillary sinus may be originated from a relatively larger volume of maxillary sinus in childhood and adolescence.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Male ; Maxillary Sinus ; diagnostic imaging ; Maxillary Sinusitis ; diagnostic imaging ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, Spiral Computed