ABSTRACT

Objective

Cleft lip and palate (CLP), one of the most common congenital anomalies in the craniofacial region. Many malformations involving the midface may occur in patients with CLP. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a cleft on maxillary sinus pathology (MSP), concha bullosa and ostium obstruction using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT).

Methods

A total of 90 patients out of which 30 were categorized as unilateral CLP (UCLP), 30 were categorized as bilateral CLP (BCLP) and 30 were categorized as control, were included in this retrospective study. The effects of cleft presence to MSP, concha bullosa and ostium obstruction were determined using CBCT images.

Results

A total of 180 right and left sides of the study population were divided into two groups as 90 cleft and 90 normal sides. There was no statistically significant relationship between the presence of cleft and the parameters examined in UCLP patients. For all patients, in the presence of a cleft, the incidences of MSP (83.3%, p<0.001) and ostium obstruction (17.8%, p=0.011) were statistically significant. However, the presence of a cleft did not have a statistically significant effect on the concha bullosa. The presence of a cleft increased MSP 4.2 times and ostium obstruction 3.7 times.

Conlusion

While the presence of a cleft increases the risk of MSP and ostium obstruction, it was not associated with the presence of a concha bullosa.