Evaluation of Olfactory Fossa Depth: Our Institutional Experience

Abstract

Aims and Objectives: The objective of the study is to find the depth of the olfactory fossa in Nepalese population.
Methods: It is a retrospective study carried at department of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery at a tertiary hospital. The clinical case records of all the patients who have undergone CT imaging of paranasal sinuses (PNS) from 1 February to 25 September 2024 were taken from the CT archives of radiology department. The depth of the Olfactory fossa was measured on coronal CT images according to Keros classification, based on the vertical height of the lateral lamella of the cribriform plate.
Results: The total number of CT scans studied were 87 out of which 50 were males and 37 were females. The mean length of the olfactory fossa on the right side was 3.74+1.41mm and on the left side was 3.30+1.34 mm. The maximum depth of olfactory fossa was 7.39 mm which was on the right side. Our study shows Keros type I was the commonest (65.5%) followed by Keros type II (35.5%) and there were no Keros type III.
Conclusion: The majority of Olfactory fossa depth in our study fall in Keros type I category(0-4mm). There was a significant difference in the depth of the two sides where the right side was longer than the left side. (p value =0.015)
Keywords: Keros type, Lateral lamella cribriform plate, Olfactory fossa depth