gms | German Medical Science

Introduction: The disturbed breathing through the nose is one of the most symptoms presented by patients in ENT-ambulance. In clinical and radiological examination a hyperplasia of the turbinates, a concha bullosa or a septal deviation can be found. Aim of the study was to analyse the correlations between the size of the turbinates and the kind of septal deviation base on cone beam tomography data. The advantages of cone beam tomography in analyses of the anterior skull base could be show before [1], [2].

Material/Methods: 100 examinations of cone beam tomography (CBT) of 50 female and 50 male patients were analysed. The length of the turbinate bone and of the mucosa was measured in all three dimensions for the inferior and middle turbinate on both sides. Furthermore anatomic variants and the degree of the septal deviation were collected.

Results: The length of the bony turbinate was 39 mm for the inferior and 32 mm for the middle turbinate. Regarding the complete turbinate (inclusive mucosa) the length was 51 mm for the inferior and 39 mm for the middle turbinate. No significant difference was found between the right and left side. The middle length of the nasal septum was evaluated with 50 mm. An increase of the length of the turbinates could be detected by increasing age. The width of the turbinates showed significant differences in dependence of the septal deviation. So the middle turbinate of the right side was much smaller in case of deviation to the right side than in cases of no deviation and in cases with deviation to the left side (5 mm vs. 5.3 mm vs. 5.9 mm), whereas the left middle turbinate was in case of deviation to the right much greater than in cases with none deviation and cases with a deviation to the left (5.8 mm vs. 5.3 mm vs. 4.9 mm). The widths of the inferior turbinate showed no significant differences in dependence of the septal deviation. Overall 35 cases with a concha bullosa of the middle turbinate could be evaluated. There was no correlation between the frequencies of the

sides of the concha bullosa and the septal deviation.

Discussion: The clinical well know correlation between the hyperplasia of the turbinate in case of the septal deviation to the contralateral side could also be detected in radiological imaging. In all cases cone beam tomography offered good quality. Interestingly no correlation between frequency of pneumatizised middle turbinate (concha bullosa) and septal deviation could be shown. All measured anatomical data (length and width of turbinates and septum) are in good accordance with literature [3].