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 ?

(2) Yanagisawa et al endoscopically demonstrated that nasal polyps can originate in the uncinate process, the ethmoid infundibulum or bulla, the frontal recess, the suprabullar and retrobullar recess, the hiatus semilunaris, the turbinates, and the mucosa of the septum.

Isolated polyp of the ethmoid sinus. (Rhinoscopic Clinic)

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

Polyps can arise from the uncinate process (figure, A); the ethmoid infundibulum (figure, B); the ethmoid bulla (figure, C); the frontal recess (figure, D); the suprabullar and retrobullar recesses; the superior and inferior hiatus semilunaris; the superior, middle, and inferior turbinates and meatus (figure, G, H, I).