ethmoidal sinus

The ethmoidal sinuses are air-filled cavities located in the bones between the nasal cavities and the eye sockets. These sinuses are also known as ethmoidal labyrinths and are composed of 3 to 18 thin-walled cavities. Their walls form a significant part of the inner walls of the eye sockets and connect to the nasal cavity through a thin, perforated bone plate at the roof of the nose called the cribriform plate. The ethmoidal sinuses produce mucus, which lubricates the cilia lining the nasal passages. These sinuses are absent or small at birth and grow rapidly until puberty. Inflammation of these sinuses is known as sinusitis, which can be acute or chronic and may require treatment with antibiotics or, in severe cases, surgery.12