Risk of frontal sinus anterior table fractures after craniofacial trauma and the role of anatomic variations in frontal sinus size: A retrospective case-control study.

Introduction: Purpose of this study was to evaluate a probable risk of frontal sinus size for traumatic depressed anterior table fractures in patients with similar forehead trauma.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective case-control study with a case group of consecutive treated patients with displaced frontal sinus anterior table fractures. The control group was randomly sampled from patients who presented with a blunt forehead trauma in our institution's emergency unit. In computed tomography data sets, all patients' frontal sinus size was categorized by Guerram's classification that is defined as aplasia, hypoplasia, medium-size and hyperplasia. Odds for prevalence of the sinus types as well as sinus total width and height were compared between both groups.

Results: In total, 47 cases and 93 controls were identified. Hyperplasia in the case group had an odds ratio of 46:1 (p < 0.001) compared to the controls. Mean sinus width (73 mm vs. 46 mm; p < 0.001) and sinus height (30 mm vs. 15 mm; p < 0.001) were larger in the case group.

Conclusion: Depressed traumatic fractures of the anterior table are an injury with a high risk specific for enlarged frontal sinus sizes. Anatomy is the predictive factor for this mode of craniofacial trauma.