Which pair of paranasal sinuses show some degree of pneumatization already present at birth?

• A Frontal and sphenoid
• B Sphenoid and ethmoid
• C Maxillary and frontal
• D Maxillary and ethmoid ✓

Explanation

The maxillary and ethmoid sinuses begin pneumatizing in fetal life and are small but aerated at birth. The sphenoid starts pneumatizing around 2 to 3 years and the frontal sinus is the last to develop, appearing radiologically around 6 to 7 years and reaching adult size after puberty. This developmental sequence explains why frontal sinusitis and its complications are essentially diseases of older children and adults, not infants.

Reference: Dhingra's Diseases of Ear, Nose and Throat, 8th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.