Three-Dimensional Measurement Changes of the Maxillary Sinus in Patients With Isolated Cleft Palate Across Different Age Groups From Preschool to Adulthood.

This study was performed to evaluate the maxillary sinus in patients with isolated cleft palate (ICP). A total of 87 ICP patients and 93 controls, aged 4 to 22 years, were enrolled and stratified into 4 age groups. Cone-beam computed tomography scans were utilized to assess diameters and volume of the maxillary sinus. No statistically significant differences were detected between the left and right sides, nor between male and female subjects. All measurements in ICP patients were smaller than normal. In controls, significant variations of maxillary sinus parameters were observed between adjacent age groups, with the exception of the sagittal diameter between the juvenile and adolescent groups. In ICP patients, all measurements showed significant changes from the juvenile to adolescent stages; in addition, volume and sagittal diameters on both sides showed significant changes from the adolescent to adult stages. These findings indicated the absence of sexual dimorphism and bilateral asymmetry in maxillary sinus morphology among all subjects. The maxillary sinus of ICP patients was significantly smaller than normal. In controls, the maxillary sinus increased progressively with age from preschool to adulthood. In contrast, ICP patients demonstrated relatively restricted maxillary sinus increase during the preschool and juvenile stages, followed by a continuous increase that persisted until adulthood.