Diagnostic value of nasal sinus computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging examination and serum cytokines in unilateral benign sphenoid sinus lesions

Due to the unique anatomical location of the sphenoid sinus and the extremely limited operational space during endoscopic nasal surgeries, even minor procedural errors can lead to severe complications. Hence, comprehensive preoperative assessment is crucial. It was to retrospectively analyze the diagnostic value of nasal sinus computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and serum interleukin (IL) cytokine levels for unilateral benign sphenoid sinus lesions (UBSSLs). Clinical data from 85 suspected UBSSL patients were collected. Surgical pathology served as the gold standard for evaluation, assessing the diagnostic value of nasal sinus CT, MRI, and serum IL-4, IL-9, and IL-17 levels. Surgical pathology confirmed 53 cases of UBSSLs. Relative to non-UBSSL patients, those with unilateral benign lesions showed greatly elevated serum levels of IL-4, IL-9, and IL-17 ( P < 0.05). The detection rate of UBSSL using the combined CT + MRI approach was significantly higher than that of CT or MRI alone. Similarly, the combined detection rate of IL-4, IL-9, and IL-17 was significantly higher than that of IL-4, IL-9, or IL-17 individually. The detection rate of CT + MRI (88.68%) was higher than that of the IL-4+IL-9+IL-17 combination (75.47%) ( P < 0.05). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for diagnosing UBSSL using serum IL combinations, sinus CT + MRI, and IL combinations + CT + MRI were 0.812, 0.840, and 0.905, respectively. Moreover, the accuracy and sensitivity of the IL combinations + CT + MRI approach were higher than those of either the serum IL combinations or sinus CT + MRI alone. Elevated IL-4, IL-9, and IL-17 were associated with UBSSLs, and their combination with nasal sinus CT/MRI can enhance the diagnostic accuracy of this condition.