Blood flow in the rabbit maxillary sinus mucosa during experimentally induced acute sinusitis.

The blood flow in the maxillary sinus mucosa was studied in 35 New Zealand White rabbits. The blood flow measurements were made by two methods, one with use of Rb86Cl and the other with 15 microns Sn113-labelled microspheres. With the Rb86Cl method the blood flow of the infected sinus mucosa was about 0.8 ml x min-1 x g-1 when correction was made for radioactivity in the secretion. The radioactivity found in the secretion probably reflects an increase both in vascular and mucosal permeability and in blood flow. When microspheres labelled with Sn113 were used, the mean mucosal blood flow in the presence of sinusitis was found to be 0.83 +/- 0.56 ml x min-1 x g-1. This blood flow was significantly higher than on the control side. In a control series, mere blocking of the ostium did not significantly alter the blood flow in the sinus mucosa.