Abstract: Objective To discuss the clinical application value through retrospective analysis of the CT and MRI imaging findings of unilateral benign sphenoid sinus lesions. Methods The imaging characteristics of 21 inpatients were analyzed who had had nasal endoscopic surgery and whose unilateral benign sphenoid sinus lesions had been pathologically proved. Results Of the 21 cases of unilateral benign sphenoid sinus lesions, there are 7 cases of cyst. CT manifestations: circular or ovoid soft tissue opacity with relatively homogeneous density in sphenoid sinus. The cases with sphenoid sinus cavity expansion may be accompanied by bone absorption attenuation. MRI manifestations: long T1 and long T2 irregular spherical signal shadow; 8 cases of fungal disease. CT manifestations: in sphenoid sinus, there are irregular patchy calcification spots or puffy-cloud density increase, ground-glass opacity in change. MRI manifestations: in sphenoid sinus, there are mixed signals, inflammation flake effusion in high signal, fungi the nodules are low T2WI signal; 3 cases of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea, CT manifestations: pure soft tissue density in sphenoid sinus, MRI manifestations: there is linear high signal shadow between cerebrospinal fluid high signal shadow and high signal liquid film in sinuses. other organizations(brain tissue, nasal mucous membrane)has low signal; 3 cases of inverting papilloma, CT manifestations: soft tissue density shadow with heterogeneous density in sphenoid sinus. MRI manifestations: Neoplasm has uneven reinforcement, presenting a sample or a different degree of “gyrus” sign. Conclusion CT can show bone changes around the lesions very well. MRI can show the invaded range by lesions more clearly. A combination of both CT and MRI can provide more comprehensive imaging information for diagnosis and clinical treatment of unilateral benign sphenoid sinus lesions. CT combined with enhanced magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)analysis is more valuable in differential diagnosis than merely depending on CT scan.

Key words: Solitary, sphenoid sinus, magnetic resonance imaging, Diagnosis, Tomography, X-ray computed