Korean J Otolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  1999 Sep;42(9):1124-1128.

A Model of Human Nose and Paranasal Sinuses for the Study of Sinus Ventilation

• Jeong YS
• Kim SR
• Kim DH
• Jung DK
• Choi SS
• jung IH
• Suh SH

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The pathogenesis of chronic paranasal sinusitis has been gradually clarified, but there have been conflicting arguments on the ventilation of paranasal sinus. The aim of the present study is to establish an objective, quantitative and reproducible method for the investigation of the ventilation of paranasal sinuses.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
With the axial images of high resolution computed tomography, a fine model of human paranasal sinus was made. The model was fitted with pressure sensors, and the pressure changes in the nasal cavity, frontal, maxillary and sphenoid sinuses were measured by pressure sensors and digital physiograph during nasopharyngeal respiration.
RESULTS
Results demonstrated negative pressures compared to the atmospheric pressure during inspiration and positive pressures during expiration in the sinonasal cavities, and the highest and lowest pressures were measured in the nasal cavity.
CONCLUSION
This study introduces another method for the investigation on the sinus ventilation through a model study. And this study model has demonstrated that the ventilation of paranasal sinuses depends on nasal respiration. Furthermore, the method is useful to evaluate the results of nasal and sinus surgeries in the case of an obstructed ostium, deviated septum or hypertrophied turbinates.

Keyword

Paranasal sinus; Ventilation; Model

MeSH Terms

Atmospheric Pressure
Humans*
Nasal Cavity
Nose*
Paranasal Sinuses*
Respiration
Sinusitis
Sphenoid Sinus
Turbinates
Ventilation*