Isolated chronic maxillary sinusitis of non-dental origin does not correlate per se with ipsilateral intranasal structural abnormalities.

A case series of 35 patients with isolated chronic maxillary sinusitis of inflammatory non-dental origin was retrospectively reviewed to determine the correlation of ipsilateral intranasal structural abnormalities. The records were examined for computed tomographic, nasal endoscopic, and intraoperative findings. The incidence of ipsilateral and contralateral intranasal structural abnormalities at the ostiomeatal complex region, including conchae bullosae, Haller cells, paradoxical middle turbinates, and septal deviations, was determined. Nineteen of 35 patients (54%) had ipsilateral abnormalities and 16 (46%) did not. Of the 19 patients with ipsilateral abnormalities, 4 had Haller cells, 4 had conchae bullosae, 2 had paradoxical middle turbinates, and 12 had septal deviations. (Two patients had multiple ipsilateral factors.) Of the 16 patients with contralateral abnormalities, 4 had Haller cells, 3 had conchae bullosae, 2 had paradoxical middle turbinates, and 9 had septal deviations. Ten patients had only contralateral abnormalities, and 6 had no identifiable anatomic abnormality. The difference between the incidences of ipsilateral and contralateral abnormalities in this series of 35 patients with isolated chronic maxillary sinusitis was not statistically significant when the factors were analyzed as a group or by individual factor (range in odds ratios for the various factors, 1 to 1.54; range in p values for the various factors, .25 to 1). Thus, the data show that ipsilateral structural abnormalities at the ostiomeatal complex region, including conchae bullosae, Haller cells, paradoxical middle turbinates, and septal deviations, did not correlate per se with isolated chronic maxillary sinusitis that was not attributable to dental disease.