Ostiomeatal complex
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At the time the article was created Henry Knipe had no recorded disclosures.
View Henry Knipe's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Tariq Walizai had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Tariq Walizai's current disclosures- Osteomeatal unit
- Osteomeatal complex
- Ostiomeatal unit
- OMC
- OMU
The ostiomeatal complex (OMC) or ostiomeatal unit (OMU), sometimes less correctly spelled as osteomeatal complex, is a common channel that links the frontal sinus, anterior ethmoid air cells and the maxillary sinus to the middle meatus, allowing airflow and mucociliary drainage.
On this page:
Gross anatomy
The ostiomeatal complex is composed of five structures:
maxillary ostium: drainage channel of the maxillary sinus
infundibulum: common channel that drains the ostia of the maxillary antra and anterior ethmoid air cells to the hiatus semilunaris
ethmoid bulla: usually a single air cell that projects over the hiatus semilunaris
uncinate process: hook-like process that arises from the posteromedial aspect of the nasolacrimal duct and forms the anterior boundary of the hiatus semilunaris
hiatus semilunaris: final drainage passage; a region between the ethmoid bulla superiorly and free-edge of the uncinate process
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Variant anatomy
There is a wide range of anatomical variants that affect the many structures that compose the ostiomeatal complex and are not pathological in themselves but their presence can result in disease. See main article, ostiomeatal narrowing due to nasal anatomical variation, for the complete list.
Related pathology
Quiz questions
References
- 1. Hoang J, Eastwood J, Tebbit C, Glastonbury C. Multiplanar Sinus CT: A Systematic Approach to Imaging Before Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2010;194(6):W527-36. doi:10.2214/AJR.09.3584 - Pubmed
- 3. Manorama Berry. Diagnostic Radiology : Neuroradiology : Head and Neck Imaging. (2006) ISBN: 9788180616365 - Google Books
- 4. Kshitij Mankad, Edward Hoey. Revision Notes for the Final FRCR Part A. (2010) ISBN: 9781907816000 - Google Books
- Laine F & Smoker W. The Ostiomeatal Unit and Endoscopic Surgery: Anatomy, Variations, and Imaging Findings in Inflammatory Diseases. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1992;159(4):849-57. doi:10.2214/ajr.159.4.1529853 - Pubmed
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- Paradoxical middle turbinate
- Medical abbreviations and acronyms (O)
- Ethmoid bulla
- Acute sinusitis
- Ethmoidal air cells
- Ethmoid infundibulum
- Silent sinus syndrome
- Ostiomeatal complex parts (mnemonic)
- Maxillary ostium
- Hiatus semilunaris
- Nasal cavity
- Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS)
- Uncinate process
- Paranasal sinus mucocele
- Haller cells
- Lund-Mackay score
- Paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity - normal
- Brown tumour
- Brown tumour
- Antrochoanal polyp
- Dental abscess
- Sinonasal polyposis
- Sinonasal polyposis
- Frontal mucocele and sinonasal polyposis
- Sinonasal polyposis
- Frontal sinus osteoma
- Frontal sinus mucocele
- Ethmoid mucocele
- Orbital fat herniation
- Haller cells
- Right maxillary sinus ectopic tooth
- Normal ostiomeatal complex (illustration)
- Haller cell (diagram)
- Inverted papilloma
- Haller cell
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