Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of frontoethmoidal cells in normal Chinese subjects.
Methods: Two 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.
Results: There 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).
Conclusion: The result demonstrated the normal frontal recess pneumatization patterns in normal Chinese.