Mucociliary Clearance of the Maxillary Sinuses in Patients with Recurrent or Chronic Sinusitis

Abstract
This is one of the first human studies of maxillary sinus mucociliary activity using human serum albumin labelled with 99m-technetium (99mTc-HSA) as a tracer in patients suffering from recurrent or chronic maxillary sinusitis. The tracer was injected into both maxillary sinuses through small sinus irrigation catheters. Nasal endoscopy and computed tomography were performed in all patients shortly before the injection. The clearance rates of four case report patients with different endoscopic and radiographic findings showed great individual variation. The technique proved to have viability for clinical use when evaluating sinusitis treatment options and results.