30 Catai-rli ..T Uil- .Maxillary Sinus. 



10. Catarrh of the Maxillary Sinus. Catarrhus antri Highmori. 



Inflammation of the mucosa of the antrum of Highmore, 

 mostly chronic and catarrhal in character, usually leads to the 

 accumulation of a mucopurulent exudate in the cavity of the 

 superior maxillary bone. (Empyema sinus maxillaris sive 

 antri Highmori.) 



Occurrence. Catarrh of the antrum of Highmore is ob- 

 served comparatively frequently in horses, rarely among other 

 animals. Horses are generally affected when advanced in years. 



Among the Prussian army lioises dnrino- ISOO-IOOS, 0.2'; of tlio total number 

 suffered from this affection, ami compared witli diseases of tlio respiratory tract, 

 affections of the antrum were equal to 2% of the former. 



Etiology. The disease rarely occurs as a primary affection, 

 as after violent traumatic insults to the maxillary sinus. It 

 is generally secondary to an extending nasal catarrh (see page 

 3), which spreads to the mucosa of the maxillary sinus which 

 is continuous with that of the middle nasal space through 

 a slitdike opening. Diseases of the teeth and alveoli are like- 

 wise frequently the primary cause of the affection, yet often 

 the teeth themselves do not show any affection when inspected 

 through the buccal cavity (Imminger). Caries of the teeth 

 and alveolar inflammations, which are frequently found in 

 horses and occasionally in cattle and dogs, often lead to a 

 spread of the inflammatory process into the mucosa of the 

 maxillary sinus or to an invasion by particles of feed. 



In some infectious diseases there may also occur a catarrh 

 of the antrum, as for instance in glanders, malignant catarrhal 

 fever, infectious rhinitis of hogs (see page 11) and of rabbits 

 (see page 15), in coccidia rhinitis (see page 28). Neoplasms 

 (polyps, sarcomata, carcinomata, cysts) may also be causative 

 factors, exceptionally botryomycosis or echinococcus. 



Anatomical Changes. In the beginning of the affection 

 there is noticeable only a more or less uniform or mottled 

 redness and swelling of the mucosa, which later on becomes 

 uneven, nodular, as if studded with millet seeds, and which 

 also exhibits larger gelatinous nodules on sausage-like ridges. 

 If the disease has lasted for a long time, wartdike formations 

 appear on the surface of the indurated mucosa (F. Miiller). 

 The cavity of the maxilla contains a discharge which is usually 

 purulent, occasionally fetid, and which may be mixed with 

 particles of food; more rarely the exudate is serous (empyema, 

 hydrops antri highmori sive sinus maxillaris) ; the walls may 

 be covered with fungi (Nielsen found the mycelium of mucor 

 spinosus). If the opening has become closed the cavity is 



