Aperture width of the osteomeatal complex as a predictor of successful treatment of odontogenic maxillary sinusitis.

Odontogenic maxillary sinusitis (OMS) is an inflammatory disease caused by the spread of dental inflammation into the sinus. The long-term administration of antibiotic medicine and/or treatment of the causative tooth are the usual initial treatments. These initial treatments are not always effective, and the reason is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to identify factors of significance that may contribute to the results of the initial treatment of OMS. Thirty-nine patients were studied, divided into two groups according to the results of initial treatment: effective or non-effective. The effective group comprised 20 patients who were cured by initial treatment. The non-effective group comprised 19 patients who required an additional operation. The duration of symptoms, spread into the other sinuses, aperture width of the osteomeatal complex (OMC) on the side of the maxillary sinus, and anatomical variations in the sinuses were compared between the groups. The only significant difference found was in the aperture width of the OMC, which was significantly narrower in the non-effective group than in the effective group. The aperture width of the OMC may be a significant predictor of the effectiveness of initial treatment of OMS.