Endoscopic view of the ostium of the posterior ethmoid sinus

March 31, 2012 by Eiji Yanagisawa, MD, FACS, Dewey A. Christmas, MD, and Joseph P. Mirante, MD, FACS
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Rhinoscopic Clinic

The anterior cells of the ehtmoid sinus, located anterior to the basal lamella, vary in number and size and always drain into the middle meatus. The posterior ethmoid cells, located posterior to the basal lamella, drain into the superior meatus.The drainage pathway of the posterior ethmoid cells is usually not easily visualized from within the ethmoid sinus as an ostium leading into the nasal cavity.

In the case illustrated here, the patient underwent left endoscopic sinus surgery to treat a 5-year history of recurrent sinusitis. At the time of surgery, the left superior turbinate and superior meatus were visualized. The posterior ethmoid ostium was seen opening into the superior meatus (figure, A). Endoscopic ethmoidotomy was carried out through the anterior face of the ethmoid bulla (figure, B).

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CitationEar Nose Throat J. 2012 April;91(4):148