Ultrasound screening for sinus disease.

The A-mode ultrasound is an inexpensive and efficacious screening modality for sinus pathology. A comparison of 690 ultrasound patterns from 200 cases was made with sinus x-ray films and case histories. Excellent correlation was found between the ultrasound patterns and the subsequent diagnosis of a normal sinus or a pathologic sinus containing fluid, thickened mucosa, or a mass. Future areas of potential clinical usefulness and current limitations of this instrument are discussed.