Which sinuses are visualized on a lateral view of the skull?

Which sinuses are visualized on a lateral view of the skull?

• A. Frontal
• B. Maxillary
• C. Ethmoid
• D. Sphenoid

Answer: (C)

When you look at a side view of the skull, the sinuses that are most readily seen are the ethmoid sinuses. They lie between the nasal cavity and the orbits, in the midline area just anterior to the sphenoid sinus. On a lateral projection, their many small air-filled cells show up as a cluster of radiolucent pockets in that central, anterior region, which makes them prominent in this view. Other sinuses are either higher (frontal), deeper/ posterior (sphenoid), or more laterally and can be obscured by surrounding structures in a single lateral view, so they aren’t as clearly visualized. Thus, the ethmoid sinuses are the ones typically visualized on a lateral skull radiograph.

When you look at a side view of the skull, the sinuses that are most readily seen are the ethmoid sinuses. They lie between the nasal cavity and the orbits, in the midline area just anterior to the sphenoid sinus. On a lateral projection, their many small air-filled cells show up as a cluster of radiolucent pockets in that central, anterior region, which makes them prominent in this view. Other sinuses are either higher (frontal), deeper/ posterior (sphenoid), or more laterally and can be obscured by surrounding structures in a single lateral view, so they aren’t as clearly visualized. Thus, the ethmoid sinuses are the ones typically visualized on a lateral skull radiograph.