Abstract:

Objective   To provide lamellar sectional anatomy data for endoscopic sphenoidotomy. Methods  The digital freezing milling technique was used to obtain the continuous sectional data as thin as 0.1mm of 15 cadaver heads(30sides) without organic lesion. The  sphenoid sinus and some surrounding structures were observed and measured on typical and continuous cross sectional image. Results  46.7% of optical nerve canal and 70% of internal carotid bulged on the area of the lateral sphenoid sinus. The maximal vertical longitude of the sphenoid sinus was (3.41±0.56) mm and the maximal horizontal longitude was (2.24±0.35)mm. The distance of the aperture of the sphenoid sinus to the internal carotid was (19.36±2.26)mm, and the distance of the aperture to the optic nerve canal was (8.83±1.42)mm. Conclusion  The lamellar sectional image obtained from the digital freezing milling technique offers a better understanding of complex anatomical structures and provides sectional anatomy data for sphenoidotomy.

Key words: Sphenoid sinus； Endoscope； Sphenoidotomy； Sectional anatomy； Freezing milling technique