Ostiomeatal Complex

The Ostiomeatal Complex
Overview
The paranasal sinuses are believed to assist with several mechanical and physiological functions. These include humidifying inspired air, lightening the skull, regulating intranasal pressure, enhancing olfaction and adding resonance to the voice. Additionally, it has been postulated that the sinuses produce mucous that is free of environmental contaminants. This mucus is then secreted into the superior and middle meatus in order to mitigate the contamination present in the mucous that is in contact with the air and its contaminants.
These functions would be compromised in instances where the paranasal sinuses are filled with fluid and are unable to be drained. The anterior paranasal sinuses (anterior ethmoid

The convexed bulge is created by the presence of the middle ethmoidal air cells and as a result, it contains an ostium that drains this space.
Located anteroinferiorly to the ethmoid bulla, and posterior to the uncinate process, is a curved furrow called the hiatus semilunaris. It contains the maxillary ostium and an accessory maxillary ostium towards the inferior aspect of the groove and the ostia of the anterior ethmoidal air cells anteriorly. This groove is continuous with the ethmoidal infundibulum, which courses superiorly and deep to the anterior aspect of the middle concha and lateral to the orbital plate of the ethmoid bone. The frontal sinus is therefor able to communicate with, and drain its contents into the ostiomeatal complex because of the connection between its frontonasal duct (recess) and the ethmoidal infundibulum. The uncinate process, which forms the anterior and medial limitation of the hiatus semilunaris and the ethmoidal infundibulum (respectively), is a thin, crescent shaped, bony leaflet that emerges from the ethmoidal labrynth

Clinicians refer to this variation as a concha bullosa. Also, there are also instances where the middle turbinate develops in a sigmoid shape – with a superior convexity, and an inferior concavity. This condition is referred to as a paradoxical middle turbinate.
The uncinate process may deviate from its typical posteroinferior course and arise in a medial fashion that obstructs the middle meatus and the ethmoid infundibulum. In cases where hypoplastic maxillary sinuses are present, lateral elevation of the uncinate process until it fuses with the medial orbital wall can impede the integrity of the orbit.
Congenital or traumatic deviation of the nasal septum can result in compression of the middle meatus and subsequent obstruction of the drainage pathway. Complications of these variations arise when they obstruct the drainage pathway of the respective paranasal sinuses. Pneumatization of respective areas has been associated with reduced ventilation to the sinuses. As a result, stasis of the mucous within the sinus can result in sinopathies such as sinusitis and