Summary
To obtain baseline standards of normal age-related development of the sphenoid sinus during childhood magnetic resonance images of the sphenoid sinus in 401 patients less than 15 years old were reviewed. T1-weighted sagittal and T2-weighted axial scans were evaluated for bone marrow conversion, development of pneumatization, spatial enlargement and septation of the sphenoid sinus. The sphenoid sinus had a uniformely low signal intensity (red bone marrow) on T1-weighted images in all children less than 4 months old. Signal intensity changes from hypo- to hyperintense (bone marrow conversion) started at age of 4 months. Onset of pneumatization was observed in 12% of the patients at age 13–15 months. By age 43–48 months, 85% of the patients showed pneumatization of the anterior part of the sphenoid bone. Pneumatization was complete in all patients older than 10 years. Enlargement of the sinus showed a characteristic profile in each dimension. Median septation was observed irregularly with age, with a maximum of 77%. Septum variants were noticed between 4.5% and 20%. The recognition of this phenomenon may serve as a reference for evaluating normal and abnormal development of the sphenoid sinus and may be of great value for diagnostic and therapeutic management of pathologic conditions of the child's sphenoid sinus and its surrounds.
Résumé
Afin de démontrer les aspects fondamentaux du développement du sinus sphénoïdal pendant l'enfance, nous avons revu l'aspect en IRM du sinus sphénoïdal de 401 patients agés de moins de 15 ans. L'étude de la moelle osseuse, le développement de la pneumatisation, la croissance et le cloisonnement du sinus sphénoïdal ont été explorés en séquences pondérées en T1 et en T2. Le sinus sphénoïdal se présente, en séquence pondérée en T1, avec un signal faible et uniforme (moelle osseuse rouge) chez tous les enfants agés de moins de 4 mois. Ce signal hypo-intense devient hyper-intense (transformation de la moelle osseuse) à partir du 4 ème mois. Le début de la pneumatisation est noté à 13–15 mois. A l'âge de 43–48 mois, la partie antérieure du sinus sphénoïdal est pneumatisée chez 85 % des enfants. La pneumatisation est complète chez tous les patients agés de plus de 10 ans. La croissance dans chaque direction de l'espace est caractéristique. L'apparition d'un septum médian est observée à une fréquence variable par tranche d'âge, avec un maximum de 77 %. Les variations existent dans 4,5 % à 20 % des cas. La connaissance de ce phénomène peut servir de référence pour évaluer le développement normal et anormal du sinus sphénoïdal et être d'un grand intérêt dans le diagnostic et le traitement des affections du sinus sphénoïdal et des régions voisines chez l'enfant.
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Szolar, D., Preidler, K., Ranner, G. et al. The sphenoid sinus during childhood: establishment of normal developmental standards by MRI. Surg Radiol Anat 16, 193–198 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01627594
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01627594