COMPARISON OF X-RAY AND CT SCAN INEVALUATION OF SINUSITIS

Abstract

Background: Sinusitis is a prevalent condition with varying degrees of severity and complexity.
It can be caused by viral, bacterial, or fungal infections, and can be acute or chronic in nature.
The diagnosis of sinusitis is often based on clinical presentation, laboratory tests, and imaging
studies. However, the diagnostic accuracy of imaging modalities such as X-rays and CT scans
has not been well established. This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic performance of X-rays
and CT scans in detecting sinusitis.
Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of X-rays and CT scans in sinusitis cases.
Methods: A prospective, Cross sectional study of 164 suspected sinusitis cases was conducted.
X-rays and CT scans were evaluated for diagnostic accuracy.
Results: CT scans showed higher sensitivity (97.3%) and specificity (96.2%) compared to Xrays (75.0% and 85.0%, respectively). Consequently, X-rays had a true positive rate of 75.0%, a
true negative rate of 85.0%, a false positive rate of 25.0%, and a false negative rate of 15.0%. In
contrast, CT-scans had a true positive rate of 97.3%, a true negative rate of 96.2%, a false
positive rate of 2.7%, and a false negative rate of 3.8%. Mucosal thickening and sinus
opacification were common radiographic signs.
Conclusion: CT scans are more accurate than X-rays in diagnosing sinusitis. This study
highlights the importance of CT scans in sinusitis diagnosis, particularly in cases with complex
anatomy or severe symptoms.