The Open Otorhinolaryngology Journal

2013, 7 : 8-9
Published online 2013 October 09. DOI: 10.2174/1874428101307010008
Publisher ID: TOOTORJ-7-8

A Unique Type of Posterior Maxilloethmoidal Cell

Hsing-Won Wang , Jiann-Jy Chen , Pin-Zhir Chao and Fei-Peng Lee
Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine and Department of Otolaryngology, Taipei Medical University Shuang Ho Hospital, No. 291, Zhongzheng Road, Zhonghe District, New Taipei City 23561, Taiwan.

ABSTRACT

A 72-year-old female patient presented with a single-sided stuffy nose, headache, purulent running nose and purulent cough for several years. A large posterior maxilloethmoidal cell was noted behind the maxillary sinuses bilaterally and found to drain into the superior nasal meatus. She underwent unilateral functional endoscopic sinus surgery with right ethmoidectomy and middle meatal antrostomy. The postoperative course was uneventful.

A well developed posterior ethmoidal cell extends to superolateral portion of sphenoid sinus is called as Onodi's cell. A well developed posterior ethmoidal cell extends to the maxillary sinus more than 50% of the antrum space as the case we presented. We have tentatively named this unique finding a posterior “maxilloethmoidal cell.”

Keywords:

Maxilloethmoidal cell, Onodi cell, Haller cell.