Paranasal sinus and nasal cavity dimensions determined by computed tomography in relation to skull shape, sex and age

This literature review is devoted to the study of the sizes of the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity, determined by computed tomography, depending on the shape of the skull (megacephalic, dolichocephalic, brachycephalic), gender and age. The main craniotypes – mesocephaly, dolichocephaly and brachycephaly – form the morphological features of the skull, which are directly reflected in the anatomy of the nasal cavity and sinuses. The study of the morphometric characteristics of the paranasal sinuses (maxillary sinuses, frontal, latticed, sphenoid sinuses) and the nasal cavity (length of the nasal cavity, width, height of the choana, length and width of the middle and lower nasal concha) depending on craniotype, gender and age is an important area of modern anatomy, anthropology and clinical morphology. One of the key aspects of these studies is the identification of the anatomical dimensions of the nasal cavity, the paranasal sinuses of the nose and the correlation of these parameters with each other depending on individual anthropometric characteristics. The anatomical and physiological features of the sinuses, their relationship with the morphology of the skull, as well as sex and age differences are considered. Modern investigations were analyzed to identify gaps in the study of anatomical variations of the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity, taking into account craniotype, gender and age, which can significantly expand the understanding of their morphological variability. Visualization technologies are considered ‒ one of the most informative tools for studying the morphology of the paranasal sinuses.

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