CT of the paranasal sinuses: normal anatomy, variants and pathology

The place of computed tomography in the pre-operative assessment of patients prior to functional endoscopic sinus surgery is well established. A good knowledge of the anatomy of the paranasal sinuses, the clinical significance of anatomical variants, and the terminology used in functional endoscopic sinus surgery is basic to the correct interpretation of imaging studies. This article will review the anatomy of the paranasal sinuses, familiarise the reader with the common terminology used in functional endoscopic sinus surgery and describe the patterns of inflammatory changes.