The development of sphenoid sinus in Asian children

Abstract Objectives: (1) To study the developmental changes of sphenoid sinus in Asian children and (2) to test the hypothesis that the sphenoid sinus may be developing slower in Asian, by comparing the growth patterns between Asian and Caucasian children. Materials and methods: Review of MR imaging of the skull of 220 Asian children less than 15 years of age in a tertiary hospital. The results were compared to a representative Caucasian study by Szolar et al. [Surg. Radiol. Anat., 16 (1994) 193]. Results: Grade 1 sphenoid was present in all children less than 6 months old. Conversion from marrow to fat of the sphenoid sinus (Grade 2) began at 7 months and was present in patients up to 6 years old. Signs of pneumatization (Grade 3) of the sphenoid sinus were first noted in patients at 10 months old. Almost 100% pneumatization was seen in all the children after 6 years old except for one child with Grade 1 sphenoid at 11 years old. Compared to Caucasian children, there was a significantly higher proportion of Grade 3 cases in Asian children from 0 to 4 years of age ( P =0.05). No difference in the distribution of cases was noted from 4 to 8 years ( P =0.466) and 8–15 years ( P =1.00). Conclusion: The developmental changes of the sphenoid sinus in Asian children were determined and found to be similar when compared to Caucasian children. The findings did not support the hypothesis that the Asian sphenoid sinus is developing slower compared to that of the Caucasians.