Plethysmographic Studies of the Blood Flow in the Mucosa of the Human Maxillary Sinus

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Abstract
Plethysmography of the mucosa of the maxillary sinus has been possible due to following facts and observations: 1. The maxillary sinus is an air-filled cavity with completely rigid walls. 2. Its ostium can be completely blocked experimentally. 3. The surface area of the mucosa in the maxillary sinus can be calculated roentgenographically. 4. Pulse waves are sometimes seen during pressure recordings from maxillary sinuses with obstructed ostium. 5. Similar pulse waves are almost always present in normal sinuses with experimentally closed ostium. 6. An upward slope of the pulse wave recording is obtained during compression of the jugular veins. 7. All errors involved in such plethysmographic recordings seem to result in an underestimation rather than an overestimation of the blood flow. The mean blood flow obtained by measurements during bilateral jugular compression was 0.26 μl/cm2sec. With an estimated mucosal thickness of 125 μm the blood flow will be 125 ml/100 cm3min. This would mean that the blood flow in the maxillary mucosa is greater than in muscle, brain and liver and only surpassed by the kidney and lungs. A reduction of mucosal thickness and of the pulse waves is obtained during compression of the carotid artery.

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