Evaluation of the Relationship Between Olfactory Fossa Measurements and Nasal Septum Deviation for Endoscopic Sinus Surgery

Introduction: Endoscopic sinus surgeries (ESS) are frequently used in the treatment of optic nerve decompression, other intracranial lesions and sinonasal pathologies. The olfactory fossa can be localized on different levels in relation to the anterior cranial fossa. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the depth and width of the olfactory fossa (OF) in relation to nasal septum deviation (NSD). Methods: A total of 225 patient (141 female and 84 male, age range between 15 to 56 years) of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) data was used in this study. NSD, OF width, OF depth were measured. OF depth which was grouped according to the Keros classification as Type I, II, and III was calculated. All measurements were performed bilaterally except for NSD. Results: In the right and left OF depth were found Keros Type I 32 (14.2%) and 30 (13.3%), Keros Type II 171 (76%) and 167 (74.2%), and Keros Type III 22 (9.8%) and 28 (12.4%) respectively. There was no statistically significant found between OF depth and NSD (P > 0.05). The mean angle of the NSD in men and women were 4.36 +/- 4.69(o)in women 4.11 +/- 4.36(o), respectively. The mean width of the right OF was 2.50 +/- 0.64 mm and 2.58 +/- 0.72 mm for the left side and there was no statistically significant association between OF width - NSD and OF width - OF depth (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The anatomy of the OF should be well established before surgical intervention increase of the length of the lateral lamella is also increases the risk of developing complications such as cerebral damage, hemorrhage, and cerebrospinal fluid fistula during endoscopic sinus surgery. Although there is no significant difference between OF measurement and NSD, with three-dimensional imaging detailed research is required before endoscopic sinus surgical operations.