Acute frontal sinusitis

Acute frontal sinusitis usually occurs in association with ethmoidal or maxillary sinusitis. The frontonasal duct is tortuous and easily obstructed by mucosal oedema.

Predisposing factors are any abnormality that interferes with drainage of the frontal sinus, for example:

• nasal septal deviation
• large middle turbinate

(Note - acute sinusitis involves inflammation of the lining of the paranasal sinuses, but because the sinus passages are connected to the nasal passages, the term rhinosinusitis is often more accurate.)

Reference

1. Rosenfeld RM et al. Clinical practice guideline (update): adult sinusitis. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2015 Apr;152(2 Suppl):S1-S39.