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LEGEND: M -
maxillary sinus, + - thickening of the maxillary
sinus, E - ethmoid sinuses, P - polyp, O -
maxillary sinus ostium, * - middle
meatus.
Attention should
first be directed to the + sign on the right side.
Compared to the previous scan, there is a
significant amount of grayish thickening between
the white bone and the black sinuses. Any
thickening over 3 mm is definitely abnormal. Note
that this thickening involves almost the entire
maxillary sinus on both sides, but more so on the
right side.
Compare the area on
the right side where the maxillary sinus ostium (O)
was observed on the previous CT scan. There is no
opening now, only the gray tissue completely
blocking the ostium. Not surprisingly, this patient
had a great deal of pain as a result of that
blockage. Although there is more thickening of the
sinus lining on the right, there is more room to
breathe through the nose on the right side (*) than
on the left side. This is largely as a result of
the deformity of the middle turbinate, located just
above the asterisk (compare to the opposite side).
This may have contributed to the sinus disease in
this case, causing obstruction of the ostiomeatal
unit. Not surprisingly the ethmoid sinuses were
involved as well. The ethmoid sinuses are either
filled with polyps (P) or the lining is thickened.
There is very little air left in the ethmoid
sinuses (E).
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