Mucosal Immunology and Vaccine Development

Sinus Mucosal

The sinuses are hollow, bone and mucus lined spaces that lie just to the side of the nose and extend up to the bottom of our skull. There are several different sinuses in the human head and include two large pairedmaxillary (sometimes referred to as cheek sinuses), two frontal and sphenoid sinuses and multiple ethmoid sinuses. Sinus disease occurs in several forms, but all are related to a combination of infection and the inability of air to get into sinus cavities from the nose. Similar to the ear and mastoid, the sinuses are air-filled spaces surrounded by thin bone and lined by mucosa. When the air is absorbed by the mucosa faster than air can get through the sinus openings (ostia) into the sinuses, a relative vacuum develops and fluid is pulled from the lining tissues of the sinuses into the sinus cavities.  This fluid easily becomes infected.  Allergy causes mucous glands to release thicker fluids (mucous), which can also become infected and which are harder to clean from the sinuses. Sinus disease is not just one entity but many. Overall infectious or inflammatory sinus disease can be broken up into acute (quick onset) or chronic (over a long period of time). Acute sinusitis is the most common form of sinusitis and is typically treated with a combination of antibiotics and agents to decrease inflammation in the nose.