Maxillary Sinus Atelectasis (Silent Sinus Syndrome)

When the maxillary sinus drainage pathway, or ostium, becomes obstructed, a rare outcome can be maxillary sinus atelectasis (inward collapse of the walls of the sinus due to a relative negative pressure in the sinus). The roof of the maxillary sinus is the orbital floor, and if it collapses downward toward the lumen of the sinus, then the eyeball may drop downward as well. If the eyeball drops far enough, the patient may experience double vision due to the two eyes resting at different levels. This is a gra