Frontal recess
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At the time the article was created Maxime St-Amant had no recorded disclosures.
View Maxime St-Amant's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Rohit Sharma had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Rohit Sharma's current disclosures- Nasofrontal duct
- Recessus frontalis
- Nasofrontal recess
- Frontal canal
- Inferior frontal recess
- Nasofrontal canal
The frontal recess is an opening in the inferior aspect of the frontal sinuses that allows drainage of the sinus.
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Terminology
The frontal recess is also known as the nasofrontal duct. However, since it does not have bony walls of its own, it is more appropriately referred to as a recess rather than a duct.
Depending on the references, the frontal recess may used synonymously with the term frontal sinus outflow tract/drainage pathway, its lower half, or its upper half.
Gross anatomy
The frontal recess has a variable and relatively complex anatomy depending on the presence of frontal recess cells and bulla lamella. Its appearance has been likened to an inverted funnel with the apex at the frontal ostium. Together with the frontal infundibulum and frontal ostium, it forms the frontal sinus outflow tract or frontal sinus drainage pathway.
It is bordered:
- anteriorly by the frontal recess cells, most commonly the agger nasi cell
- medially by the middle turbinate
- laterally by the medial wall of the orbit
Its posterior margin is variable depending on whether the bulla lamella is complete and whether it reaches the skull base. If present, the suprabullar cell may also contribute to the posterior boundary.
The frontal recess drains into the middle meatus in 62% of cases and into the ethmoid infundibulum in 38%. Direct drainage into the suprabullar and retrobullar recesses is possible when the bulla lamella is incomplete.
Practical points
Patency of the frontal recess depends on the following structures 3:
- superior articulation of the uncinate process
- agger nasi cells
- presence or absence of frontal recess cells
- supraorbital cell
- bulla lamella
References
- 1. Lessa, M. M., Voegels, R. L., Cunha Filho, B., Sakae, F., Butugan, O., & Wolf, G. (2007). Frontal recess anatomy study by endoscopic dissection in cadavers. Revista Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia, 73(2), 204-209.
- 2. Wormald PJ. The agger nasi cell: the key to understanding the anatomy of the frontal recess. (2003) Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. 129 (5): 497-507. doi:10.1016/S0194-59980301581-X - Pubmed
- 2. Luo QZ, Lin L, Gong Z, Mei B, Xu YJ, Huo Z, Yu P. Positive association of major histocompatibility complex class I chain-related gene A polymorphism with leukemia susceptibility in the people of Han nationality of Southern China. (2011) Tissue antigens. 78 (3): 178-84. doi:10.1111/j.1399-0039.2011.01748.x - Pubmed
Incoming Links
- Ethmoid bulla
- Supraorbital air cells
- Ethmoid infundibulum
- Bulla lamella
- Suprabullar cells
- Suprabullar recess
- Frontal sinus
- Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS)
- Frontal recess cells
- Agger nasi cells
- Uncinate process
- Frontal ostium
- Frontal bullar cells
- Frontal sinus outflow tract
- Frontal intersinus septal cells
- Frontal infundibulum
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