Cross-Sectional Study of Nasal Cavity, Nasal Septum and Paranasal Sinus Anatomy in Children

Objective: Knowledge of the normal development process of the nasal and paranasal sinuses is important for diagnosis and treatment. This study aimed to analyze the normative data of the nasal cavity, nasal septum, and paranasal sinuses according to age and sex in children aged 0-14 years using cranial magnetic resonance imaging. Methods: The images of 626 (355 males and 271 females) Caucasian children (mean age: 54.39 ± 48.91 months) were analyzed retrospectively. Sagittal and axial images were used for nasal and paranasal region measurements. Mean, standard deviation, median, minimum, and maximum values were determined for each age according to sex. The presence of paranasal sinuses was evaluated. Results: The mean nasal septum areas for the first and 14th years were 624.2 mm2 and 1742 mm2, respectively. There was rapid growth in the first 4 years of life. The difference in all parameters was more pronounced in the first years of life, and the first year was significantly different compared with all age groups. There was no significant difference in the presence of septum deviation according to sex in general or at all ages (P > .05). Ethmoid sinuses were detected as 100% in the first year of life, and maxillary sinuses were 72.7%. Conclusion: These results will help to know the cross-sectional data of the nose and paranasal region and to increase the success of secondary surgical approaches due to the constantly changing anatomic measurement values caused by the rapid growth process and the expected morphologic differences between societies.