Maxillary Sinus Viewed in a Frontal Section of the Skull

Description

Presented as a frontal section through an adult male skull, the maxillary sinuses (antra of Highmore) occupy the body of each maxilla lateral to the nasal cavity and inferior to the orbits. Medially, each sinus communicates with the ipsilateral nasal cavity via the maxillary hiatus area in the lateral nasal wall, adjacent to the middle meatus beneath the middle nasal concha, while the nasal septum divides the two nasal passages in the midline. Superiorly and posteriorly, the sinus walls relate to the orbital floor and the infratemporal surface of the maxilla, and inferiorly the sinus floor approaches the maxillary alveolar process and tooth roots. Coronal and sagittal sutures, nasal bones, portions of the mandible, and dentition provide bony context for the paranasal region. A frontal cut like this clarifies why maxillary sinus drainage is mechanically disadvantaged: the natural ostium opens high on the medial wall, so dependent secretions pool inferiorly, a setup for maxillary sinusitis. That relationship also underpins dental spread of infection, since periapical pathology of maxillary molars and premolars can erode into the sinus, and it guides safe planning for sinus lift (maxillary sinus floor augmentation) before implant placement. Endoscopic sinus surgery teaching also benefits from seeing the sinus aperture in relation to the middle turbinate and middle meatus. Landmarks matter. Use this artwork for head and neck anatomy courses, ENT lecture slides on ostiomeatal complex obstruction, dental and maxillofacial training on odontogenic sinusitis, or as a labeled figure in atlases and review articles discussing paranasal sinus drainage pathways. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.