Arrested pneumatization of the sphenoid sinus mimicking skull base tumours: MRI prevalence in children with haematologic diseases

ABSTRACTObjective: Arrested pneumatization of the sphenoid sinus is a developmental anatomic variation but may be confused with serious diseases of the skull base. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of arrested pneumatization of the sphenoid sinus in paediatric patients with haemotologic diseases like sickle cell anaemia, thalassemia and leukemia.Materials and Methods: One hundred and eight paediatric patients (43 girls, 65 boys; age range: 4–18 years; median age: 13 years) with haemotologic diseases who underwent at least one magnetic resonance imaging of the head and neck between 2010 and 2017 in a single institution were included. Magnetic resonance imaging studies were retrospectively reviewed. Well-defined and fat-containing non-expansile lesions located at the sphenoid sinus region were diagnosed as arrested pneumatization of the sphenoid sinus. Medical diagnoses, lesion sizes, age and sex of the patients were recorded.Results: Five (4.6%) of 108 patients demonstrated arrest...