Prevalence of Anatomical Relationship Between Optic Nerve Canal and Posterior Paranasal Sinus in Ct Scan of Persian Ethnics Publisher



F Alikhani FARIBA ; M Alinejad MARZIEH ; F Bamarinejad FATEMEH ; A Bamarinejad ATEFEH ; S Rafiei SHADI
Source: Chinese Journal of Academic Radiology Published:2025

Abstract

Background: The anatomical relationship between the optic nerve canal (ONC) and posterior paranasal sinuses is crucial for understanding potential complications in craniofacial and endoscopic sinus surgeries. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of various ONC types in relation to posterior paranasal sinuses among Iranian ethnicities using computed tomography (CT) scans. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at XX Hospital in X, X, from March 2020 to March 2022, involving Iranian patients aged 18–70 with normal paranasal sinus CT scans. Exclusion criteria included congenital/acquired abnormalities and invalid scans. Two experienced radiologists independently reviewed scans, categorizing ONC types based on previous works done by DeLano. Data were analyzed for frequency, percentage, and mean age, employing ANOVA and chi-squared tests for statistical significance (p < 0.05). Results: A total of 326 patients (652 sides) were included, with a mean age of 37.6 (± 16.62) years and a gender distribution of 49.1% males and 50.9% females. The most prevalent ONC type was type 1, observed in 79.8% of left and 76.7% of right ONCs, followed by type 2 (8.6% left, 10.4% right) and type 3 (4.9% left, 3.7% right). Bilateral similarity in ONC types was noted in 303 (92.9%) patients. A significant difference in left-side ONC types by gender was found (p = 0.047), with type 4 being least prevalent in males (3.8%) and type 3 in females (3.7%). Conclusion: The study highlights a predominance of type 1 ONC among Iranian ethnicities with a notable bilateral consistency in ONC types. The gender-specific differences observed on the left side warrant further investigation into anatomical variations and must be taken into consideration before endoscopic sinus surgeries and other trans-sphenoidal approaches. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.