Organized hematoma of the maxillary sinus

Abstract

Objective: Organized hematoma of the maxillary sinus can develop by means of organization of hematoma in the unaerated maxillary sinus. To our knowledge, this is only the second article describing organized hematoma in the maxillary sinus.

Material and methods: We have observed eight cases of organized hematoma of the maxillary sinus recently and here we describe the clinical features (using CT scans and medical records), radiologic characteristics and pathologic findings.

Results: The patients comprised five males and three females (mean age 58 years), all of whom had a history of frequent epistaxis. They also complained of nasal obstruction, hyposmia, headache and swollen cheeks. Rhinoscopy revealed obliterated nasal cavities due to bulging lateral walls. CT scans showed soft-tissue densities expanding the maxillary sinus into the nasal cavity. The treatment modalities used (applied either alone or in combination) were Denker's operation, Caldwell-Luc's operation and endonasal endoscopic surgery, and the outcomes were successful.

Conclusion: Organized hematoma should be included in the differential diagnosis when patients have frequent epistaxis and an expansile mass in the maxillary sinus.