Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-018-5038-9 RHINOLOGY Computed tomography analysis of intranasal distance of frontal and sphenoid sinus ostiums in children Cigdem Kalaycik Ertugay 1  · Ela Araz Server 1,3  · Yesim Karagoz 2  · Ozgur Yigit 1  · Ahmet Volkan Sunter 1  · Ahmet Gorkem Yasak 1 Received: 8 December 2017 / Accepted: 14 June 2018 © Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2018 Abstract Purpose Pediatric population may be more prone to complications in comparison to adults because of the variability of developmental changes of paranasal sinuses and skull base. Knowledge of standard columellar distances regarding age in addition to anatomical landmarks is an important guide during functional endoscopic sinus surgery. We aimed to identify standard distances from columella and anterior nasal spine to the anterior and posterior border of frontal and sphenoid sinus ostiums and provide an objective reference graph in regard to age in children. Methods Subjects who are older than 1 year and younger than 18 years who had undergone a head-and-neck, maxillofacial or temporal bone region high resolution computed tomography scan during the last 3 years were obtained from radiological database. The distances from columella and anterior nasal spine to the anterior and posterior border of frontal and sphenoid sinus ostiums were measured and nasofrontal and nasosphenoid angles were calculated. Results A total number of 119 children (73 boys, 46 girls) were reviewed. The average age was 7.7 ± 5.0 years. All sub- jects had normal sinonasal anatomy. We found statistically signifcantly positive correlation between age and all distances (p < 0.001). Although all measured distances of boys were greater than girls, this diference did not reach statistical signif- cance. Additionally, nasosphenoidal angles were signifcantly obtuse in boys (p < 0.05). Conclusions Our columellar distance graphic can provide further improvement of surgeon confdence while performing endoscopic sinus surgery or skull base surgery. Keywords Frontal sinus · Sphenoid sinus · Pediatric · Children · Computed tomography · Sinus ostium Introduction Endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS), since frst per formed in Europe during 1970s, has become one of the most common surgical procedures in otolaryngology practice [1]. Further- more, application of endoscopic techniques has included This manuscript was presented in 38. Congress Of Turkish National Otorhinolaryngology Association, 26–30 October 2016, in Antalya, Turkey. * Ela Araz Server serverela@hotmail.com Cigdem Kalaycik Ertugay ckalaycik@gmail.com Yesim Karagoz yesimkar@yahoo.com Ozgur Yigit yigitdr@yahoo.com Ahmet Volkan Sunter avsunter@gmail.com Ahmet Gorkem Yasak gorkemyasak@hotmail.com 1 Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Istanbul Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey 2 Department of Radiology, Istanbul Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey 3 İstanbul Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi Kulak Burun Boğaz Kliniği, Kasap İlyas Mah., Org. Abdurrahman Nafz Gürman Cad., Fatih, 34098 Istanbul, Turkey