Paranasal sinuses: maxillary sinus drainage: practice question

A Anatomy question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

Try it

Anatomy · Paranasal sinuses: maxillary sinus drainage

Sample item

A 30-year-old man has recurrent maxillary sinusitis despite upright posture. Which anatomical feature predisposes to poor drainage of the maxillary sinus?

AThe ostium lies in the floor of the sinus and opens into the inferior meatusBThe sinus has no natural openingCThe ostium lies high on the medial wall and opens into the middle meatusDThe ostium opens into the sphenoethmoidal recess

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

C. The ostium lies high on the medial wall and opens into the middle meatus

The maxillary sinus drains through an ostium high on its medial wall that opens into the hiatus semilunaris of the middle meatus. As the opening is near the roof, mucus cannot drain by gravity when the person is upright and depends on ciliary action. The ostium is easily blocked by mucosal oedema at the ostiomeatal complex.

Option by option

A. The ostium lies in the floor of the sinus and opens into the inferior meatus
The inferior meatus receives the nasolacrimal duct, not the maxillary sinus.
B. The sinus has no natural opening
The sinus has a natural ostium and is not closed.
C. The ostium lies high on the medial wall and opens into the middle meatus (correct)
Correct. The high medial ostium leads to poor gravity drainage.
D. The ostium opens into the sphenoethmoidal recess
The sphenoethmoidal recess receives the sphenoid sinus opening.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

Questions about this Anatomy question

What is the answer to this Anatomy question?

The best answer is C, The ostium lies high on the medial wall and opens into the middle meatus. The maxillary sinus drains through an ostium high on its medial wall that opens into the hiatus semilunaris of the middle meatus.

Why is "The ostium lies in the floor of the sinus and opens into the inferior…" not the answer?

The inferior meatus receives the nasolacrimal duct, not the maxillary sinus.

Why is "The sinus has no natural opening" not the answer?

The sinus has a natural ostium and is not closed.

Why is "The ostium opens into the sphenoethmoidal recess" not the answer?

The sphenoethmoidal recess receives the sphenoid sinus opening.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Paranasal sinuses: maxillary sinus drainage in Anatomy. As the opening is near the roof, mucus cannot drain by gravity when the person is upright and depends on ciliary action. The ostium is easily blocked by mucosal oedema at the ostiomeatal complex.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Paranasal sinuses: maxillary sinus drainage?

Learn every nerve by its route, its muscles and what a lesion looks like at the bedside. That one habit answers a large share of questions. Then use the flashcards and the other Anatomy questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.