[Complicated sinusitis and nasal endoscopic surgery]

Abstract

Background: Complicated sinusitis can result in a significant morbidity if not appropriately managed. Traditionally, surgical cases were treated by external approaches. Now a days, the introduction of endoscopic sinus surgery allows such complications to be endoscopically approached.

Aim: This study was designed to evaluate our results in complicated sinusitis treated by endoscopic sinus surgery.

Methods: The study reviewed 18 patients with evidence of sinusitis complications treated with endoscopic sinus surgery between 1993 and March 2000. There were 12 orbital and 6 intracraneal complications. Six patients did need an additional surgical approach.

Results: Seventeen patients (94%) had a relief of their symptoms. One patient with a superior orbital fisura syndrome died a month later due to vascular and respiratory complications. Another patient with fronto-lateral sinusitis required frontal osteoplasty for persistent disease. Two patients had long-term neurological sequelae (seizure). None had ocular sequelae. There were no complications due to the surgery.

Conclusion: The endoscopic sinus surgery is a safe procedure with a high success rate in the treatment of complicated sinusitis. At present, open approaches to the sinuses are rarely indicated.