Maxillary Sinuses Within a Frontal Section of the Skull, Anterior View

Description

Presented in a frontal section with an anterior orientation, the paired maxillary sinuses (antra of Highmore) occupy the bodies of the maxillae lateral to the nasal cavity and inferior to the orbits. Medially, each sinus abuts the lateral nasal wall and the inferior and middle nasal conchae, with the nasal septum dividing the airway in the midline. Superiorly, the thin orbital floor forms the sinus roof, while inferiorly the sinus floor approximates the alveolar process of the maxilla and the apices of the posterior maxillary teeth; laterally, the cavity approaches the zygomatic process and infraorbital region. Cranial sutures and the frontal bone frame the sectioned calvaria. This anterior sectional view clarifies why maxillary sinus disease so often presents with dental and orbital symptoms. Odontogenic maxillary sinusitis tracks from periapical infection or iatrogenic breach after molar extraction, and the proximity of the infraorbital canal to the sinus roof explains infraorbital nerve hypoesthesia or pain referred to the cheek in some patients. Drainage anatomy is easy to teach here: the maxillary sinus ostium sits high on the medial wall into the middle meatus via the osteomeatal complex, a setup that favors secretion retention during mucosal edema. Otolaryngology and dentistry courses use this plate to orient learners to the paranasal sinuses before CT correlation in the coronal plane, functional endoscopic sinus surgery planning, and Caldwell-Luc discussions. It also suits patient-facing education on sinusitis, oroantral fistula, and safe zones near the orbital floor and alveolar ridge. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.