[The ethmoidal infundibulum and its inflammatory illnesses (author's transl)].

The infundibulum ethmoidale is a cleft-like space situated like a funnel before the maxillary ostium. In this cleft inflammations occur very often. From here they may spread to the paranasal sinuses of the first series (frontal and maxillary sinus, anterior ethmoidal cells), especially to the antrum, and may cause recurrent or chronic inflammations. The walls of the infundibulum may be inspected endoscopically from the middle and inferior meatus, and also from the antrum. Sometimes a direct view in this cleft-like space may be obtained. On this way any inflammations of the infundibulum can be diagnosed exactly and treated endoscopically. This procedure leads not only to healing of the infundibulum, but also of the adjacent paranasal sinuses of the first series.