Endoscopic anatomy of the anterior ethmoidal artery: a cadaveric dissection study.

INTRODUCTION The anterior ethmoidal artery (AEA) is an important point of anatomical reference in order to locate the frontal sinus and the skull base. Notwithstanding, despite numerous endoscopic studies in cadavers, we still lack an anatomical study on the AEA in the western population. AIM to determine reference points used to locate the artery, study its relationship with the skull base and its degree of dehiscence, as well as to study intra and inter individual variations. MATERIALS AND METHODS we dissected the nasal fossae belonging to 25 cadavers. RESULTS the average intranasal length of the anterior ethmoidal artery was 5.2 mm. The anterior ethmoidal canal presented some degree of dehiscence in 66.7%. The average distance between the artery middle point to the anterior nasal spine was of 61.72 mm (sd=4.18 mm); to the lateral nasal wall (nasal axilla) was of 64.04 mm (sd=4.69 mm); and from the anterior axilla to the middle turbinate was of 21.14 mm (sd=3.25 mm). For all the measures there was no statistically significant measures when both sides were compared (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS We concluded that the middle conchae axilla is the most reliable point of reference to locate the AEA.