Coronal Section of the Skull

Description

Coronal sectioning through the anterior skull exposes the calvaria and facial skeleton in a single plane, with the frontal bone superiorly and the maxilla and alveolar processes inferiorly. Medial to lateral, the nasal septum and ethmoidal labyrinth sit between the paired nasal cavities, while the maxillary sinuses occupy the bodies of the maxilla on either side. Superior and slightly anterior, the frontal sinuses lie within the frontal bone above the orbital roofs, and posterior to the ethmoid region the sphenoidal sinus is positioned in the body of the sphenoid. Bone thickness is readable at the cut margins. Clinically, this coronal perspective matches the workhorse plane for CT evaluation of rhinosinusitis, osteomeatal complex obstruction, and chronic mucosal disease in the frontal recess and ethmoid air cells. It is also the orientation surgeons rehearse before functional endoscopic sinus surgery, where the relationship of the ethmoid roof to the nasal cavity and adjacent sinuses frames the risk of skull base breach and cerebrospinal fluid leak. A practical teaching point. Aeration patterns and septal deviation are easier to explain when the paired sinuses are seen side by side. Use this artwork in gross anatomy and head and neck modules to teach paranasal sinus topography, or in radiology and ENT training materials to align cross-sectional anatomy with coronal CT and endoscopic landmarks. It also fits medical publishing needs for chapters on sinus development, sinusitis pathways, and preoperative planning illustrations for endonasal approaches. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.