[Ostium of maxillary sinus in endoscopic sinus surgery].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinical significance and operative method of maxillary sinus ostium in the treatment of chronic sinusitis and nasal polyps. METHODS: Fifty-six patients (112 sides) undergone endoscopic sinus surgery were studied. RESULTS: The patency rates of the maxillary ostia in patients with enlarged and unchanged maxillary ostia were 92.9% and 80.4% respectively. Fifty-one patients (64 sides) undergone Caldwell-Luc operations were retrospectively studied. The patency rate of inferior antrostomy was 40.6%. CT scans of the sinuses of 38 cases with unilateral sinisitis or nasal polyps were reviewed. The scaled values of the maxillary hiatus on CT images showed no difference between the normal group and the diseased group. Pneumatization and proliferation of middle turbinate and bent uncinate process were the most common anatomic variation in the diseased group. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that management of anatomic variations surrounding the ostia is very important in the treatment of maxillary ostium.