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Inflamed concha bullosa

Case contributed by Varun Babu
Diagnosis certain

Presentation

Headache

Patient Data

Age: 50 years
Gender: Male
ct

Keros skull base type 2

Right sinus and drainage pathways

Frontal sinus and frontal recess: mild mucosal thickening in frontal recess.

Maxillary sinus: small retention mucosal polyp. Internal septum present.

Ethmoid sinus: mild mucosal thickening.

Ostiomeatal complex: normal.

Sphenoid sinus: normal.

Sphenoethmoidal recess: normal.

Left sinus and drainage pathways

Frontal sinus and frontal recess: chronic undisplaced outer table fracture. Mild mucosal thickening in frontal recess.

Maxillary sinus: normal.

Ethmoid sinus: mild mucosal thickening.

Ostiomeatal complex: normal.

Sphenoid sinus: hypoplastic, inflamed.

Sphenoethmoidal recess: normal.

Other findings

Nasal cavity: bilateral concha bullosa with left inflammation. Paradoxical left middle turbinate.

Orbits: normal

Anterior cranial fossa: normal.

Nasopharynx: normal.

Mastoid air cells: normal

The following findings are concluded in this study:

  • mild bilateral frontal, ethmoidal, maxillary and left sphenoidal sinusitis.

  • chronic undisplaced left frontal sinus outer table fracture.

  • inflamed left concha bullosa.  

Case Discussion

Pneumatization of the middle turbinate is called concha bullosa. Inflammation within it per se is often a cause of headache. Here we also have a paradoxical left middle turbinate.

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