Anatomic-radiological analysis of preconditions for developing a chronic odontogenic sinusitis
The maxillary sinuses are the most important paranasal sinuses in dentistry and maxillofacial surgery due to their proximity to the roots of upper dentition. The literature shows that the oroantral fistula (OAF) was the most common etiology of odontogenic sinusitis. OAF was the most common cause of odontogenic maxillary sinusitis among all dental etiologies. All OAFs led to chronic sinusitis, while other dental etiologies caused acute sinusitis. In our study, we observed the prevalence of pathological findings in maxillary sinuses in a sample of 47 Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CT) exams of patients with OAF. Results of our study shows that dentists and maxillofacial surgeons must consider anatomic features of dental origin, nose structures and paranasal sinusis as important causes of maxillary sinusitis and must be aware of various treatment approaches.