Paranasal sinuses
Last revised by Abdus Sattar
on 7 Jan 2025
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
St-Amant M, Sattar A, Worsley C, et al. Paranasal sinuses. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 26 Jan 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-25381
rID:
25381
Article created:
22 Oct 2013,
Maxime St-Amant ◉
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Maxime St-Amant had no recorded disclosures.
View Maxime St-Amant's current disclosures
Last revised:
7 Jan 2025,
Abdus Sattar
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Abdus Sattar had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Abdus Sattar's current disclosures
Revisions:
19 times, by
13 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
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Sections:
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Synonyms:
- Paranasal sinus
The paranasal sinuses usually consist of four paired air-filled spaces. They have several functions of which reducing the weight of the head is the most important. Other functions are air humidification and aiding in voice resonance. They are named for the facial bones in which they are located:
On this page:
Variant anatomy
The paranasal sinuses are subject to marked variation between individuals and between sides in the same individual, regarding size (aeration) and bony septations.
total paranasal sinus agenesis - very rare 1
isolated frontal sinus agenesis - common
aerated crista galli
anterior clinoid process pneumatization
-
protrusion and/or dehiscence of
optic nerve
maxillary nerves
vidian nerves
-
pneumatization of
anterior clinoid processes
sphenoid sinus septa attachment on the bony canal of the optic nerve
variable depth of the olfactory fossa (Keros classification)
Radiographic features
Plain radiograph
Basic radiographic features are
MRI
Normal mucosa of the paranasal sinuses appear hyperintense on T2-weighted images 4.
Development
The maxillary and ethmoidal sinuses are the first to develop, followed by frontal and sphenoidal sinuses 3.
Quiz questions
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References
- 1. Korkmaz H & Korkmaz M. Total Aplasia of the Paranasal Sinuses. Allergy Rhinol (Providence). 2013;4(2):e105-9. doi:10.2500/ar.2013.4.0056 - Pubmed
- 2. Reddy U & Dev B. Pictorial Essay: Anatomical Variations of Paranasal Sinuses on Multidetector Computed Tomography-How Does It Help FESS Surgeons? Indian J Radiol Imaging. 2012;22(4):317-24. doi:10.4103/0971-3026.111486 - Pubmed
- 3. Courey M & Pletcher S. Upper Airway Disorders. Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 2016;:877-896.e5. doi:10.1016/b978-1-4557-3383-5.00049-x
- 4. Stephanie Ryan, Michelle McNicholas, Stephen J. Eustace. Anatomy for Diagnostic Imaging. (2011) ISBN: 9780702029714 - Google Books
Incoming Links
Articles:
- Sinonasal mucosal melanoma
- Supra bulla frontal cell
- Aneurysmal bone cyst
- Pneumosinus dilatans
- Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma
- Frontal sinus
- Accessory maxillary ostium
- Oncocytic sinonasal papilloma
- Sinonasal disease
- Cocaine-induced midline destructive lesion
- Intrasinus calcification
- Respiratory tract
- Superior cervical ganglion
- Supra agger cell
- Supra agger frontal cell
- Sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma
- Maxillary sinus
- Supraorbital air cells
- Pterygopalatine ganglion
- Sinonasal polyposis
Cases:
- Orbit roof subperiosteal collection
- Sinonasal chondrosarcoma
- Accessory maxillary ostium and deviated nasal septum with a spur
- Normal paranasal sinuses x-ray
- Frontal sinus osteoma
- Paranasal sinuses (Gray's illustrations)
- Paranasal sinus development (Gray's illustration)
- Cervical dural arteriovenous fistula
- Normal paranasal sinuses x-ray series
- Langerhans cell histiocytosis of the orbit
- Total aplasia of the paranasal sinuses
- Sinonasal polyposis
- Idiopathic orbital inflammation
- Orbital floor blow-out fracture
- Orbital medial wall and floor blow-out fracture
- Ocular rupture
- Orbitotomy and Graves ophtalmopathy
- Orbitotomy and Graves ophtalmopathy
- Adenoid cystic carcinoma of maxillary sinus
- Sinonasal polyposis
Multiple choice questions:
Related articles: Anatomy: Head and neck
- skeleton of the head and neck
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cranial vault
- scalp (mnemonic)
- fontanelle
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sutures
- calvarial
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- frontozygomatic suture
- frontomaxillary suture
- frontolacrimal suture
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- temporozygomatic suture
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facial bones
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orbicularis oris muscle
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orbicularis oris muscle
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deep spaces of the neck
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arterial supply
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common carotid artery
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-
common carotid artery
- venous drainage
-
arterial supply
- innervation of the head and neck
-
cranial nerves
- olfactory nerve (CN I)
- optic nerve (CN II)
- oculomotor nerve (CN III)
- trochlear nerve (CN IV)
-
trigeminal nerve (CN V) (mnemonic)
- trigeminal ganglion
- ophthalmic division
- maxillary division
- mandibular division
- abducens nerve (CN VI)
- facial nerve (CN VII)
-
vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII)
- vestibular ganglion (Scarpa's ganglion)
- glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)
- vagus nerve (CN X)
- (spinal) accessory nerve (CN XI)
- hypoglossal nerve (CN XII)
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- cervical sympathetic ganglia
- greater occipital nerve
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cervical plexus
- muscular branches
- longus capitis
- longus colli
- scalenes
- geniohyoid
- thyrohyoid
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ansa cervicalis
- omohyoid (superior and inferior bellies separately)
- sternothyroid
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- phrenic nerve
- contribution to the accessory nerve (CN XI)
- cutaneous branches
- muscular branches
- brachial plexus
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cranial nerves
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