Fricano Ellen E I, Nguyen Joseph, Hallal Ryan, Llera Martín Catherine J
Department of Medical Anatomical Sciences, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California, USA.
J Anat. 2025 Nov;247(5):897-909. doi: 10.1111/joa.14283. Epub 2025 May 26.
Despite the central role that the maxillary sinus plays in facial architecture, its shape has never been robustly analyzed in part due to its amorphous morphology and the lack of repeatable landmarks. While previous research has examined correlations between sinus volume and two-dimensional measurements with factors like sex, age, and environmental influences, less is known about finer structural variations, such as trabeculation and surface complexity, in relation to these variables. This study aimed to explore how maxillary sinus size and shape correlate with factors such as age, sex, tobacco, and drug use. The left and right maxillary sinuses of 109 adult individuals were segmented from CT scans. A novel application of spherical harmonic analysis was conducted to quantify maxillary sinus shape. Statistical analyses, including principal component analysis, t-tests, and Mann-Whitney U tests, were employed to assess differences in sinus shape due to sex, age, tobacco use, and drug use. Results showed significant differences in sinus shape due to sex, tobacco, and drug use. The areas of highest variation between groups were at the lateral-most apex and the anterior wall at the superior and inferior corners. Males have larger sinuses, but no other significant differences in sinus size or asymmetry were identified among the groups tested. Previously identified patterns in maxillary volume across age groups were not supported. This study illustrates the areas of highest variability in relation to each variable and has important implications for future studies seeking to understand sinus structure and drainage across groups.
尽管上颌窦在面部结构中起着核心作用，但其形状从未得到过全面分析，部分原因是其形态不规则且缺乏可重复的标志点。虽然先前的研究已经探讨了鼻窦体积和二维测量值与性别、年龄和环境影响等因素之间的相关性，但对于与这些变量相关的更精细的结构变化，如小梁形成和表面复杂性，了解较少。本研究旨在探讨上颌窦的大小和形状如何与年龄、性别、烟草使用和药物使用等因素相关。从109名成年人的CT扫描中分割出左右上颌窦。采用球谐分析的新应用来量化上颌窦的形状。使用包括主成分分析、t检验和曼-惠特尼U检验在内的统计分析方法来评估由于性别、年龄、烟草使用和药物使用导致的鼻窦形状差异。结果显示，由于性别、烟草使用和药物使用，鼻窦形状存在显著差异。各组之间差异最大的区域位于最外侧的顶点以及上下角的前壁。男性的鼻窦较大，但在测试的各组中未发现鼻窦大小或不对称性的其他显著差异。先前确定的各年龄组上颌窦体积模式未得到证实。本研究阐明了与每个变量相关的差异最大的区域，对未来旨在了解不同群体鼻窦结构和引流情况的研究具有重要意义。
