Quantitative histologic features of the normal frontal sinus.

The entire mucosa from 30 normal frontal sinuses was removed, stained by the whole mount method, and the density of goblet cells and mucous glands was determined. There was an average of 6,300 goblet cells per square millimeter without statistically significant differences between the various walls. The glands were small and seromucous. In 87% of the sinuses, the gland density was less than 0.2 glands per square millimeter, and the total gland count did not exceed 40. This represents a totally negligible mucus production, which must be derived predominantly from the goblet cells. The density proved significantly higher in the inferior parts of the sinuses. The findings are discussed in relation to other areas of the respiratory tract.