Objectives: To study the contribution of computed tomography (CT) to evaluate the intensity of the sinus mucosa's response to an inflammatory stimulus.
Material and methods: Eight New-Zealand white rabbits where used. Rabbit n degrees 1 was the control. CT, macroscopic examination with analysis of secretion volumes, and histological examination were used to study the response of the sinuses to inflammation.
Results: There was perfect match between the CT scan aspect and the quantity of secretions (kappa and Cohen's coefficient=1). The CT scan aspect well correlated with inflammatory cell infiltration (kappa and Cohen's coefficients=0.8).
Conclusion: The CT scan contributes usefully to the analysis of sinus contents and can be used to assess the intensity of the sinus mucosal inflammatory reaction. Consequently, the CT scan can be used not only to validate an animal model of acute or chronic sinusitis, but can also be used to evaluate medical or surgical treatments in such an animal model.