Endoscopic management of 108 sinus mucoceles.

OBJECTIVES/BACKGROUND: Traditional teaching has emphasized the need for complete removal of sinus mucoceles to achieve a cure. However, with the introduction of endoscopic sinus surgical instruments and techniques, there has been a trend toward transnasal endoscopic management of sinus mucoceles. The aim of this study is to establish the efficacy of endoscopic management of sinus mucoceles.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective review.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between 1988 and 2000, 103 patients with 108 paranasal sinus mucoceles were treated endoscopically. This series includes 66 frontal and frontoethmoid, 17 ethmoid, 7 sphenoethmoid, 12 sphenoid, and 6 maxillary mucoceles. Ninety patients (83.3%) had intraorbital extension and 85 of them presented with some degree of proptosis or eye displacement. Sixty patients (55.5%) had erosion of the skull base with varying degrees of intracranial extension of the mucocele. Follow- up ranged from 1 to 131/2 years with a median of 4.6 years.

INTERVENTION

All patients underwent endoscopic-wide marsupialization of the mucocele cavity. Stents were used in frontal mucoceles only.

RESULTS

Recurrence of a frontal mucocele was seen in 1 patient (0.9%). In 5 patients, out of 23 patients who presented with massive pansinus polyposis in addition to the mucocele, recurrent polyposis required revision surgery. However, the mucoceles did not recur in those patients.

CONCLUSIONS

There is increasing evidence in the literature that endoscopic management of sinus mucoceles results in long-term control with recurrence rates at or close to 0%. Rhinologic surgeons should consider the endoscopic technique as the surgical treatment of choice.