Paranasal sinus volumes and headache: is there a relation?

PURPOSE: The aim of the study is to investigate the relation between paranasal sinus volumes and headache in patients with no other rhinologic causes.

METHODS: Two hundred patients with chronic headache and 99 subjects with no headache or facial pain history in the last 6 months were included in the study. Paranasal computed tomography (CT) scans of both patient and control groups were evaluated. Sixty one patients were excluded from the study due to possible rhinogenic headache CT findings such as secretions and contact points. Sinus volume index (SVI) formula created by Barghouth et al. in 2002 was used to calculate paranasal sinus volumes: SVI = ½. A × B × C. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare an independent continuous variable and a continuous variable with non-normal distribution.

RESULTS: In the patient group, the total sinus, frontal sinus, and maxillary sinus volumes were found to be significantly lower than those of the control group (p < 0.001). Although the total sphenoid sinus volume was found to be lower in the patient group, there was no significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.013).

CONCLUSION: Although rhinogenic findings are often related to secondary headache, the relation between paranasal sinus volume and headache is scarcely investigated in the literature. Our study showed that paranasal sinus volumes might have a role in secondary headaches. Furthermore, in contrast to the literature, our study showed a significant relation between headache and smaller paranasal sinus volumes.