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CC BY 4.0 · Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2024; 28(01): e70-e75
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1767805
Original Research

Endoscopic Study of Ethmoidal Canals in Cadavers, Including a Histological Analysis of Their Contents

Alexandre Wady Debes Felippu 
1   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, Brazil
,
Thiago Picolli Morsch 
2   Instituto Felippu de Otorrinolaringologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
,
André Wady Debes Felippu 
2   Instituto Felippu de Otorrinolaringologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
,
Filippo Cascio 
3   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Azienda Ospedaliera Papardo, Messina, Italy
,
Claudia Regina Gomes Cardim Mendes de Oliveira 
4   Institute of Orthopedics, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, Brazil
,
Alexandre Felippu
2   Instituto Felippu de Otorrinolaringologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
,
Richard Louis Voegels 
1   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, Brazil
› Author Affiliations Funding The present research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
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Abstract

Introduction The advent of the endoscope has enabled the use of the endonasal approach for a variety of diseases. Studying the ethmoidal canals is important for surgeries of the paranasal sinuses and the anterior base of the skull.

Objective To investigate the ethmoidal canals and evaluate their structure, the presence of vessels and nerves, their location, and to perform an anatomopathological study of their contents.

Methods We evaluated 20 cadavers (20 left and 20 right nasal cavities) through endoscopic dissection of the anterior base of the skull and exposure of the medial periorbita and dura mater; then, the ethmoidal canals were located and measured in relation to the anterior wall of the sphenoid sinus and between the ethmoidal canals, followed by removal of their content for histological analysis.

Results Vessels were present in 75% of the left anterior ethmoidal canals, 70% of the left posterior ethmoidal canals, 75% of the left middle ethmoidal canals, 85% of the right anterior ethmoid canals, and 64.5% of the right posterior ethmoid canals; 50% of the right middle ethmoidal canals contained one vessel.

Conclusion The ethmoidal canal does not necessarily contain an ethmoidal artery. Studies with a larger sample should be performed to quantify the correct proportion of arteries and ethmoidal canals.

Keywords

ethmoid sinus - ophthalmic artery - dissection - ethmoid bone - skull base


Publication History

Received: 09 August 2022

Accepted: 29 October 2022

Article published online:
26 September 2023

© 2024. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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