Variant Anatomy of the Nasal Turbinates in Adult Nigerians

Abstract

Objective: The variations of the nasal turbinates have been implicated in the pathogenesis of rhinosinusitis. Accord-ingly, this study aimed at elucidating the variations of the nasal turbinates in adults. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in the Radiology Department of a teaching hospital. Following eth-ical approval, brain CT scan images of 336 patients aged 20-99 years were used to study the nasal turbinates. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 (IBM SPSS Corp.; Armonk, NY, USA) and summarized in frequencies. Chi-square test was used to evaluate for gender and side differences in the frequencies of the variants. A P-value of.05). Both CB and PMT showed a statistically significant side difference (P ¼ .001). Conclusion: The presence of the variants of the nasal turbinates in this study emphasizes on the need for preopera-tive imaging prior to functional endoscopic sinus surgery, which is becoming popular among otolaryngologists. This will ensure the successful restoration of sinus ventilation and drainage and minimize complications.