Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAnatomyWhat Does the Ethmoid Bone Do?Associated ConditionsTreatmentSummary
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Anatomy
What Does the Ethmoid Bone Do?
Associated Conditions
Treatment
Summary
The ethmoid bone is a cube-shaped bone located in the center of the skull between the eyes. It helps form the walls of the eye socket, or orbital cavity, as well as the roof, sides, and interior of the nasal cavity and helps with the sense of smell, protection of the eyeball, and keeping harmful particles from entering through the nose.
Very light and sponge-like in texture, the ethmoid bone is one of themost complex bonesof the face.
At birth, you will only have around three to four ethmoidal cells; however, as an adult, you will normally have around 10 to 15.
These ethmoidal cells form what is more commonly referred to as theethmoid sinuses. The ethmoid sinus cavities are one of four pairs of sinus cavities in your face, the others being the maxillary, frontal, and sphenoid sinus cavities.
Above these structures, you also have thecrista galli, which attaches to part of the connective tissue that surrounds your brain, anchoring it into place.
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Because the ethmoid bone is in the middle of the face, it functions to support a variety of everyday activities. The cribriform plate has sieve-like holes that allow the olfactory nerves to locate in your nose so that you can smell things and also plays a role in your ability to taste.
Arteries that flow to your nose also travel through several of the channels that exist in the ethmoid bone, which serves to protect these arteries from trauma.
If fractured, it is typically part of a complex NOE (nasoorbitoethmoid) fracture. This type of fracture is usually from blunt-force trauma as you might have in an automotive accident or contact-sports injury.
Because thenasal, orbital, and ethmoid bones are highly vascularized, meaning that there are a lot of blood vessels in this area,severe nosebleeds (epistaxis)usually occur with an NOE fracture.
Other symptoms associated with an NOE fracture include:
When visiting a healthcare provider to be evaluated for sinusitis, you may never be told which sinuses are inflamed or infected. However, the type of symptoms you experience may be an indicator of which sinus cavity is causing you discomfort.
Ethmoiditis (sometimes referred to as ethmoid sinusitis) is inflammation or an infection in the ethmoidal cells in the sinuses. Common symptoms include pain behind and between the eyes and along the sides of the nose, swelling of the eyelids, andloss of smell(olfactory dysfunction).
Adeviated septummay involve part of the perpendicular plate. Depending on the severity of your case, you may not notice any symptoms. However, more severe cases may cause nosebleeds and difficulty breathing through one nostril.
Ethmoid cancer is very rare and is typically categorized as a paranasal malignancy. Prevalence is low in comparison to the more common paranasal malignancies in the maxillary or nasal sinuses.
As in all cancers, early detection improves rates of survival. If ethmoid cancer remains localized, 82 out of 100 people are still alive beyond five years.However, if ethmoid cancer has metastasized, or spread to other parts of the body, only 43 to 52 out of 100 people will surpass five years of survival.
If you suffer trauma to the face and have symptoms of NOE fracture, you should seek medical attention immediately. Rapid diagnosis of NOE fracture with a thorough exam to determine if surgery is required is important to optimal recovery.
However, under the following criteria, your healthcare provider may start you on an antibiotic—likely amoxicillin/clavulanate—even without a positive culture:
If your healthcare provider is concerned that polyps are the underlying cause of your symptoms, a computed tomography (CT) scan will likely be ordered.
Your healthcare provider may also use a fiber optic scope to visualize inside your nose and sinus cavities. Treatment of polyps in the ethmoid sinuses or correction of deviated septums can be performed surgically.
Proper diagnosis and treatment of an ethmoid bone/sinus canceror other paranasal cancers will involve multiple care providers. Members of your interdisciplinary team may include:
If the tumor has spread into the ethmoid sinus cavity, the base of the skull, or to the brain, your surgical team will involve both an otolaryngologist and a neurosurgeon due to the ethmoid’s crista galli anchoring tissue that surrounds the brain as well as the risk for neurological issues if complications occur. This surgery is referred to as craniofacial resection.
The ethmoid bone, located between the eyes, plays a crucial role in forming parts of the eye socket and nasal cavity. This sponge-like bone supports key functions, including protection of the eye, aiding in the sense of smell, and filtering air. The ethmoid sinuses within it produce mucus to trap particles, and the nasal conchae help humidify and purify air as it flows into the lungs.
Health issues involving the ethmoid bone include fractures from trauma, infections like ethmoid sinusitis, and rare cases of ethmoid cancer. Symptoms of ethmoiditis may include pain around the eyes, swelling, and loss of smell. Trauma-related injuries require thorough assessment, and severe cases may call for surgery, especially in NOE fractures.
15 Sources
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