Quantitative histology of the normal ethmoidal sinus.

In 16 patients the mucosa from 32 normal ethmoidal sinuses was removed post mortem and studied by whole-mount methods. In the anterior ethmoidal cells, there was a median density of 0.5 gland/mm2, in the posterior cells 0.13 gland/mm2. The distribution of the glands was irregular, with the highest density around the ostia. Individual variations of density were wide, ranging from 0.07 to 0.81 gland/mm2. The median density of goblet cells was the same in the anterior and posterior ethmoidal cells, about 6,900 cells/mm2. The greater part of the mucous secretion in the ethmoid is produced by the goblet cells.