Blood flow in the rabbit maxillary sinus mucosa during experimentally induced acute sinusitis

Abstract

The blood flow in the maxillary sinus mucosa was studied in 35 New Zealand White rabbits. The blood flow measurements were made by two methods, one with use of Rb⁸⁶CI and the other with 15 μm Sn¹¹³-labelled microspheres. With the Rb⁸⁶Cl method the blood flow of the infected sinus mucosa was about 0.8 ml×min⁻¹×g⁻¹ when correction was made for radioactivity in the secretion. The radioactivity found in the secretion probably reflects an asincrease both in vascular and mucosal permeability and in blood flow. When micro-spheres labelled with Sn¹¹³ were used, the mean mucosal blood flow in the presence of sinusitis was found to be 0.83±0.56 ml×min⁻¹×g⁻¹. This blood flow was significantly higher than on the control side. In a control series, mere blocking of the ostium did not significantly alter the blood flow in the sinus mucosa.

Key Words:

• acute sinusitis
• sinus mucosal blood flow
• microspheres
• Rb⁸⁶Cl
• rabbit