Sinuses Exam Questions

What are the paranasal sinuses also called?

Accessory nasal sinuses because they are lined with mucous membrane

What are the four groups of the sinuses?

1. Maxillary (2)

2. Frontal (usually 2)

3. Ethmoid (many)

4. Sphenoid (1 or 2)

What are the only sinuses that exhibit a definite cavity at birth?

Maxillary sinuses

At what age do the frontal and sphenoid sinuses become visible on radiographs?

6 or 7

What sinuses develop last?

Ethmoid sinuses

At what age are all the paranasal sinuses fully developed?

Late teenage years

Where are the maxillary sinuses located?

Within the body of each maxillary bone

How are the maxillary sinuses shaped?

Like a pyramid on a frontal view and cubic laterally

How big are the maxillary sinuses?

Vary in size from one person to another

Where is the site of communication for the maxillary sinuses?

The opening into the middle nasal meatus passageway

Where are the frontal sinuses located?

Between the inner and outer tables of the skull, posterior to the glabella

The frontal sinuses rarely become aerated before what age?

6

Are the frontal sinuses symmetric?

Rarely

What separates the frontal sinuses?

Septum

How many cavities exist for the frontal sinuses?

2 that vary in size and shape

Do men or women typically have larger frontal sinuses?

Men

Where are the ethmoid sinuses located?

Medial wall of each orbit

Where are the sphenoid sinuses located?

In the body of the sphenoid bone directly below the sella turcica

What view of the sinuses can you best see the sphenoid sinuses?

Through open mouth

Because the sphenoid sinuses are so close to the base or floor of the cranium, sometimes what makes their presence known by their affect on these sinuses?

Pathologic processes

If you see a sphenoid effusion what has occurred?

Basal skull fracture

What makes up the osteomeatal complex?

The drainage pathways of the frontal, maxillary, and ethmoid sinuses

Sinusitis

When the osteomeatal complex becomes obstructed leading to infection of these sinuses

What does the large maxillary sinus drain through?

Infundibulum passageway down through the middle nasal meatus into the inferior nasal meatus

Where does the maxillary sinus drainage exit?

Through the nasal orifice

What receives drainage from the frontal and ethmoid sinus cells, which drains down through the middle nasal meatus into the inferior nasal meatus, where it exits the body through the exterior nasal orifice?

Ethmoid bulla

Where does the sphenoid sinus drain?

To the back of the case to the ostium

What are the only views you would see all the sinuses on?

Lateral and waters open mouth

Where are the organs of hearing and equilibrium found?

Within the petrous portion of the temporal bones

What are the three divisions of the ear?

External, middle, and internal portions

What does the external ear begin with?

The auricle or pinna

Tragus

Small liplike structure located anterior to the EAM that acts as a partial shield to the ear opening

EAM

The opening or canal of the external ear

Where are the mastoid process/mastoid tip located?

Posterior and inferior to the EAM

Where is the styloid process?

Inferior and slightly anterior to the EAM

The meatus narrows as it meets at the?

Tympanic membrane or eardrum

Middle ear

Irregularly shaped, air-containing cavity located located between the external and internal ear positions

What are the three parts of the middle ear?

• Tympanic membrane

• Three small bones called auditory ossicles

• Tympanic cavity

What are the two parts of the tympanic cavity?

• Tympanic cavity proper

• Attic or epitympanic recess

Tympanic cavity proper

Larger cavity opposite to the eardrum

Attic/ epitympanic recess

Area above the level of the EAM and the eardrum

Drum crest or spur

Sharp bony projection that separates the EAM from the epitympanic recess

Eustachian tube or auditory tube

Where the tympanic cavity communicates anteriorly with the nasopharynx

What is the passageway between the middle ear and the nasopharynx?

Eustachian tube

How big is the Eustachian tube and what does it do?

1 ½ inches (4 cm) long and serves to equalize the pressure within the middle ear to the outside atmospheric air

What is ears popping caused by?

Pressure being adjusted internally in the middle ear to prevent damage to the eardrum

What is the second direct communication into the middle ear?

Posteriorly to the mastoid air cells

Aditus

Opening between the epitympanic recess and the mastoid portion of the temporal bone

Antrum

Where the aditus connects directly to a large chamber within the mastoid portion

What does the antrum connect to?

The various mastoid air cells

Encephalitis

Serious infection of the brain

Tegmen tympani

Thin plate of bone that forms the roof of the antrum, aditus, and attic area of the tympanic cavity

What prevents encephalitis from occurring?

Tegmen tympani

Auditory ossicles

Three small bones that are prominent structure within the middle ear

What does malleus mean?

Hammer

Malleus

Attached directly to the inside surface of the tympanic membrane

What does the head of the malleus articulate with?

Central ossicle, the incus

What does the incus connect to?

Stapes

Stapes

Smallest of the three auditory ossicles

Oval window

Where the footplate of the stapes attaches, which leads into the inner ear

What are the two main parts of the internal ear?

• Osseous or bony labyrinth

• Membranous labyrinth

Osseous labyrinth

Bony chamber that houses the membranous labyrinth, a series of intercommunicating ducts and sacs

What are the three parts of the osseous or bony labyrinth?

• Cochlea

• Vestibule

• Semicircular canals

What is the round window also called?

Cochlear window

Round window

Base of the cochlea

Vestibule

Central portion of the bony labyrinth, contains the oval window (sometimes called the vestibular window)

What does the round window allow for?

Fluid movement

What are the three semicircular canals?

Superior, posterior, lateral semicircular canals

What relates to the sense of direction or equilibrium?

Semicircular canals

What relates to the sense of hearing?

Cochlea

What view shows the frontal sinus best?

Caldwell method

What view shows the maxillary sinus best?

Waters method

What view shows the sphenoid sinus best?

Open-mouth waters method