Comparative Analysis of Maxillary Sinus Volume in Patients With Cleft Lip and Palate Versus Class III Malocclusion Patients Using CBCT.

OBJECTIVES: This study compared maxillary sinus volume (MSV) in patients with unilateral non-syndromic cleft lip and palate (CLP) to a skeletally matched control group with a skeletal class III pattern (group CTR) using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images. MATERIALS/METHODS: Ninety CBCT images were evaluated, including 45 patients with unilateral CLP (group CLP, mean age 24.3 ± 6.1) and 45 patients with Class III malocclusion (group CTR, mean age 25.3 ± 5.9). Both groups were skeletally matched based on SNA, SNB, ANB, GoGn-SN angles and Wits appraisal values. MSV was measured using ITK-SNAP software. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test confirmed normal data distribution. Intergroup comparisons of average MSV, MSV stratified per side, cephalometric parameters and gender differences were performed using Student's t-test. Intragroup comparisons (cleft vs. non-cleft side, right vs. left side) were conducted using a paired t-test. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences in average MSV were found between the CLP group (7589.74 ± 4060.23 mm3) and the CTR group (7901.90 ± 3667.69 mm3) (p = 0.59). However, within the CLP group, the MSV on the cleft side (6870.53 ± 3695.29 mm3) was significantly smaller than on the non-cleft side (8308.96 ± 4316.53 mm3) (p < 0.05). No significant gender differences regarding MSV values were found (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Unilateral cleft lip and palate resulted in a significantly smaller MSV on the cleft side in CLP patients. However, the average MSV of CLP patients was not significantly reduced compared to non-cleft patients with a skeletal Class III pattern.