Evaluation of the postoperative maxillary sinus with computed tomography

Purpose: To evaluate the computed tomographic appearances of post-operative maxillary sinuses. Materials and Methods: 33 asymptomatic cases of post-operative maxillary sinus without evidence of any pathologic changes and clinical symptoms were selected. CT images were classified as opacification, soft tissue shadow, anterior wall depression, naso-antral communication, and compartmentalization. The relationships between the CT image and the age of patients at the time of operatation, and between the CT image and the duration of time elapsed since the surgical procedure were evaluated. Results: The most commonly presented radiological characteristics that occurred after the Caldwell-Luc procedure were opacification and soft tissue shadow. Anterior wall depression and naso-antral communication were radiographic indications that a Caldwell-Luc operation had been carried out. The age of patients when they had been first operated on, and the duration between the surgical procedure and the time of evaluation had no effect on the CT appearances of normal changes. In cases involving a longer time interval between the antral surgery and evaluation, the anterior wall depression with bony healing was more commonly observed than soft tissue healing. Conclusion: The radiographic information regarding the normal healing state using computed tomography can distinguish post-operative changes from inflammatory and cystic disease in patients who have undergone a Caldwell-Luc type of radical maxillary antrostomy.