Sphenoid Bone

Sphenoid Bone

The sphenoid bone is wedged between several other bones in the front of the cranium. It consists of a central part and two wing-like structures that extend sideways toward each side of the skull.

This bone helps form the base of the cranium, the sides of the skull, and the floors and sides of the orbits (eye sockets). Along the middle, within the cranial cavity, a portion of the sphenoid bone rises up and forms a saddle-shaped mass called sella turcica (Turk's saddle).

The sphenoid, along with the ethmoid and the right and left temporal bones, provides the skeletal link between the face and neurocranium.

As the central bone of the cranial base from which the face grows forward, growth in the anterior sphenoid body during early ontogeny determines the spatial relationships between the face, neurocranium, and cranial base.

Disease

Isolated inflammatory disease of the sphenoid sinus is very uncommon in the pediatric population. A 10 year review of all patients at our institution 16 years of age or younger with inflammatory sphenoid sinus disease found 8 patients with isolated sphenoid sinusitis and 3 with sphenoid mucoceles.

The most common symptoms were headache and visual disturbance.

Sinus disease is undoubtedly one of the most uncomfortable ailments you can experience without being termed seriously ill. Another term for the more serious versions of sinus infections, it is associated with a huge variety of symptoms, complaints and further problems and complications that you may experience further down the line.

The first thing to do is to find out exactly what sinus disease is and also a few of the causes so you can figure out why you feel as poorly as you do at the present time. Disease of the sinus cavities is essentially the inflammation of the sinus cavities, or rather their lining, which may bring discomfort, pain, discharge and any number of other problems along with it.