Evolution of views on the maxillary sinus

This article describes the evolution of views on the maxillary sinus. Currently, the presence of a cavity in the maxilla is undoubted. The paranasal sinuses were first described by the ancient Egyptians and then by Greek physicians. The name of Nathaniel Highmore is also associated with the anatomy of the paranasal sinuses, as he first described the maxillary sinus. The paranasal sinuses were first discovered in the skull bones by the ancient Egyptians. Later, ancient Greek physicians such as Hippocrates, Galen, and Celsus probably admitted their existence. In the Middle ages, physicians believed that the paranasal sinuses contained oils that lubricated the orbit and facilitated eye movements. The second theory was developed by the Spanish physician Sansovino, who called the paranasal sinuses ‘la cloaca del cerebro’ and thought that these cavities depleted the brain with their ‘malignant spirit.’