Paranasal sinuses. Two head X-rays showing a patient's paranasal sinuses. At left, the head is tilted backwards, while at right is a frontal view. The tilted view at left is variously known as the occipitomental view, or Waters' view, or Blondeau's view. The paranasal sinuses (frontal, ethmoidal, sphenoidal, and maxillary) are spaces in the bones surrounding the eyes and nose (nasal cavity and eye sockets visible here), and the cheek bones of the upper jaw. They lighten the bones of the skull and reduce the weight of the head. Connected to the nasal passages and lined with mucous membranes, they can fill with fluid and secrete mucus during an infection, when they show as opaque areas on an X-ray. These views show healthy frontal and maxillary sinuses in an adult man. |