Normal Nasopharyngeal Measurement by Computed Tomography in Adult.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to investigate the detailed computed tomography (CT) measurement of the nasopharynx (NP) in normal adult detecting mean of its dimension and relation of that measurement to that of the sphenoid sinus.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL: A normal paranasal CT scan and a straight nasal septum of 128 individuals (256 sphenoid sinuses) were included in the study. Axial images were acquired with multiplanar reformates to obtain delicate details in coronal and sagittal planes for all subjects. Measurement of the width, length, and anteroposterior dimensions of the NP and sphenoid sinuses were taken separately.

RESULTS: In 128 studied CT of adult subjects, the mean height of the NP was 19.4619 ± 4.52661 and mean depth was 21.80714 ± 4.62324 while the mean width was 25.31951 ± 3.80521. No significant relations between diameters of NP and sphenoid sinuses were found.

CONCLUSION: The detailed CT measurement of the NP in normal adult is an easy and reliable measurement. This study put the base of CT measurement of NP for further work to describe changes in such measures in patients with nasal and paranasal sinus anomalies.