Anthropometrical Profiles of the Frontal Sinus in Population of Southeast Nigerians

Abstract

The anthropometrical profiles, function and variation of frontal sinus have been poorly understood. Understanding these are important in sinus operation and in paleontology, to understand the puzzle of the meaning of the supra orbital development. In the present study radiographs of 74 males and 46 females of south east Nigerians were measured from 18^th August 2003 to 12^th July 2004. The subject age ranged from 9 to 75 years. The mean length, width and height of frontal sinuses were 35.36mm, 63.87mm and 12.93mm for males and 28.70mm, 60.73mm and 10.35mm for females respectively. Thus values for the dimensions of the frontal sinus were higher for males than females. The study revealed that most of the female frontal sinus width values fall above the mean in the distribution while most values for anthropometrical profiles of both sexes fall below the mean. This study is important to otorhinolaryngologist in the evaluation of the sinuses