The supraorbital ethmoid cell

The supraorbital ethmoid air cell (SOEC) is one anatomic variation of the frontal outflow region that is particularly susceptible to intraoperative complications or postoperative failure from functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). The SOEC lies posterior lateral to the frontal sinus and may easily be confused with the frontal sinus intraoperatively. The anterior ethmoid artery lies posterior to both the SOEC and the frontal sinus. Detailed preoperative and intraoperative examination of imaging and image-guided navigation assists in reducing the risks of both intraoperative complications and long-term failure from misidentification or lack of identification of the SOEC.