hiatus semilunaris

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Related to hiatus semilunaris: Ethmoidal bulla, Frontonasal duct, Ostiomeatal Unit

sem·i·lu·nar hi·a·tus

[TA]

a deep, narrow groove in the lateral wall of the middle meatus of the nasal cavity, into which the maxillary sinus, the frontonasal duct, and the middle ethmoid cells open.

Synonym(s): hiatus semilunaris [TA], hiatus ethmoidalis

hiatus semilunaris

The groove in the external wall of the middle meatus of the nasal fossa into which the frontal sinus, maxillary sinus, and anterior ethmoid sinuses drain. The opening may be blocked in patients with acute or chronic sinusitis.

See also: hiatus

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References in periodicals archive ?

The ostium of the ethmoid bulla is often found in the hiatus semilunaris superior, but it can also be found in the anterior or lateral bulla wall, the ethmoid infundibulum, the hiatus semilunaris inferior, and the retrobullar recesses.

An unusual medial ostium of a concha bullosa of the middle turbinate. (Rhinoscopic Clinic)

The DSI irrigator reaches the middle turbinate and other nasal regions with side irrigation that will flush the turbinates and even the maxillary sinus, through the hiatus semilunaris, as well as other posterior nasal regions.

Sinus irrigator

1] Polyps might originate in the anterior face of the ethmoid bulla, frontal recess, ethmoid infundibulum, and hiatus semilunaris superior.

Endoscopic view of middle turbinate polyps

1] Hechl, Setliff and Tschabitscher, in their excellent atlas of the endoscopic anatomy of the paranasal sinuses published in 1997, write "the most consistent drainage pattern is from the posterior and medial aspect of the bulla medially into the hiatus semilunaris posterior (superior), ant erior to the basal lamella.