Correlation between prevelance of haller cells and postoperative maxillary sinusitis after sinus lifting procedure

Our aim was to investigate the prevalence of Haller cells in a group of patients listed for sinus lifting, and to assess the correlation between postoperative maxillary sinusitis and their presence. A total of 102 patients (150 sides) were evaluated retrospectively on cone-beam computed tomography (CT). The presence and dimensions of Haller cells were noted on the scans. The development of postoperative maxillary sinusitis was recorded. Fisher's exact test was used for statistical evaluation and probabilities of less than 0.05 were considered significant. Maxillary sinusitis developed after sinus lifting in five patients, and Haller cells were found in three of them. However, there was no correlation between the presence of Haller cells and postoperative maxillary sinusitis (p = 0.638). The cells were larger in patients with postoperative maxillary sinusitis, and the greater dimensions may be a potential risk factor for developing it after a sinus lift.