A 40-year-old man undergoing revision FESS for persistent right maxillary sinusitis has a preoperative CT showing an air-filled ethmoid cell extending along the roof of the maxillary sinus, medial to the orbit, markedly narrowing the infundibulum. Which named cell is this?
- A Agger nasi cell
- B Haller cell ✓
- C Onodi cell
- D Concha bullosa
Correct answer: B. Haller cell
Explanation
A Haller cell, or infraorbital ethmoid cell, is an anterior ethmoid air cell that pneumatizes into the floor of the orbit along the roof of the maxillary sinus. When large, it narrows the maxillary ostium and infundibulum and contributes to recalcitrant or recurrent maxillary sinusitis, so it must be addressed at FESS. An agger nasi cell obstructs the frontal recess, an Onodi cell lies posterior and lateral to the sphenoid and endangers the optic nerve, and a concha bullosa is a pneumatized middle turbinate.
Reference: Scott-Brown's Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, 8th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.