Identification of the anterior ethmoid arteries on thin-section axial images and coronal reformatted orbit images by means of multidetector row CT

AimThe aim of this study was to identify anterior ethmoid arteries on thin-section axial images and coronal reformatted images of the orbits using multidetector row computed tomography (CT).Materials and methodsOne hundred and thirty-two patients underwent paranasal CT using a 16-row detector CT (n = 59) or a 6-row detector CT machine (n = 73) at 1 or 1.25 mm section width, respectively. Coronal images were reformatted at section widths of 3 and 1 mm. The anterior ethmoid arteries were identified for each patient. Differences were assessed using the chi-square test.ResultsAll CT images were of approximately average diagnostic quality. Anterior ethmoid arteries were identified in 97.5 and 96.6% at section thicknesses of 1 and 1.25 mm on the axial images, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the detection rate (p = 0.89). On the coronal images, anterior ethmoid arteries were presented tangentially in 75.4 and 90.2% at section widths of 3 and 1 mm, respectively. The visibility of the anterior ethmoid arteries was rated significantly better on coronal images at a section width of 1 mm than on those at section widths of 3 mm (p < 0.001).ConclusionThin-section axial images and coronal reformatted images using multi-detector row CT mostly depict anterior ethmoid arteries, and are useful to identify anterior ethmoid arteries for preoperative evaluation of paranasal sinuses.