INTRODUCTION  The crista galli is part of the ethmoid bone and thus may suffer from the process of pneumatization. Pneumatization occurs in between 3% and 14% of patients, resulting from air cells in the frontal or ethmoid sinuses. AIM  To describe 3 cases of crista galli pneumatization in which the patients developed infection and were treated surgically by endoscopic techniques. METHOD  W...

The interpretation of patterns of cranial pneumatization in terms of evolution, development, and function is controversial, because these structures exhibit extreme diversity and variability among and within taxa. However, there is general consensus that air-filled spaces are formed by invasion of mucous epithelial tissue from the nasopharyngeal cavity into the surrounding cranial bones. This i...

A 47-year-old man, with a 25-year history of frequent scuba diving, presented with a right-sided hypoglossal palsy 2 days after occipital head trauma. CT showed excessive occipito-temporal and atlas pneumatization, soft tissue emphysema, right-sided opacification of mastoid air cells, and a right-sided hypoglossal canal fracture (figures 1 and 2). Hypoglossal palsy resolved spontaneously 10 day...

Turbinate pneumatisation, also known as concha bullosa, refers to the existence of an air cell inside the turbinate. While pneumatization of the middle and superior turbinates are common, the presence of pneumatization of the inferior turbinate, otherwise known as an inferior concha bullosa is very rare. Herewith, a case is presented of bilateral hypertrophy of the inferior turbinates associate...

A 70-year old man with a 15-year-history of chronic daily Valsalva maneuvers for left ear congestion presented with worsening vertigo and calvarial (occipitoparietal) and upper cervical hyperpneumatization. With continued frequent Valsalva maneuvers, subsequent studies demonstrated increased pneumatization with extension of air into the epidural space, causing mass effect on the left parietal l...

Pneumatization of maxillary sinus causes insufficient vertical bone volume on posterior maxilla. So the restoration of edentulous posterior maxilla with dental implants is challenging due to a deficient posterior alveolar ridge, unfavorable bone quality and increased pneumatization of the maxillary sinus.1 For maxillary sinus augmentation, the crestal approach and the lateral window approach ha...

The sauropodomorph Thecodontosaurus caducus and theropod Coelophysis bauri are the earliest known dinosaurs with postcranial skeletal pneumaticity. In both taxa, postcranial pneumatic features are confined to the cervical vertebrae. This distribution of pneumaticity in the skeleton is most consistent with pneumatization by diverticula of cervical air sacs similar to those of birds. Other hypoth...

Introduction: Maxillary sinuses are among the largest paranasal sinuses with various shapes and volumes. The dimensions and volumes of maxillary sinuses play an important role in the surgical treatment plan. The higher levels of pneumatization of alveolar bone lead to the increase of odontogenic sinusitis which cause problems in dental implantation. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate...

The endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approach (EEA) to treat sellar, parasellar, and suprasellar tumours continues to gain increased significance. Due to the close proximity of the sphenoid sinus to the carotid artery and the optic canal, it is very important for surgeons to know the anatomical features and variations of the sphenoid sinus as relevant to EEA. A prospective study of the sphe...

Sinus pneumatization is a complex variable process that begins in early life and continues for many years. We present a case of a 6-year-old boy with progressive headaches and neurologic symptoms suggestive of intracranial pathology. The presence of enhancing tissue within the sphenoid sinus created a diagnostic dilemma which leads to a transsphenoidal biopsy. Knowledge of imaging characteristi...