Mucus production in chronic maxillary sinusitis. A quantitative histopathological study.

A quantitative histological investigation, comprising 47 maxillary sinuses with chronic sinusitis subjected to the whole-mount method, was undertaken principally to determine the degree of mucus production. The goblet cell density in the maxillary sinus was found to be significantly lower (7350 cells/mm2) in chronic sinusitis than in the normal maxillary sinus (9700 cells/mm2). The gland density was 1.2 gland/mm2, which is six times that of the normal maxillary sinus. Several varieties of pathological tubulous glands were encountered; they could be simple and short, long, or branched. These glands are formed during the disease state as a result of basal cell hyperplasia. In addition to new formation of glands, the mucosa in chronic sinusitis also displayed hyperplasia and hyperactivity of the normal tubuloacinous, seromucous glands. It is concluded that the increased mucus production in chronic sinusitis mainly is derived from the newly formed glands.