The management of acute visual loss after sinus surgery--two cases of rhinogenic optic neuropathy.

INTRODUCTION

Different causative mechanisms of ophthalmic complications during endonasal sinus surgery have been reported. Only a few cases of blindness caused by affections of the optic nerve due to inflammatory paranasal sinus disease have been described.

OBJECTIVE

Inflammatory optic neuropathy shall be considered among the causative factors for amaurosis after sinus surgery.

MATERIAL

We present two patients with dramatic visual decrease occurring two weeks after sinus surgery as a result of inflammatory posterior paranasal sinus disease.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

Our therapy including surgical intervention in form of orbital or optic nerve decompression accompanied by systemic steroids and antibiotic therapy resulted in a significant increase of visual acuity in one case and a complete restoration of vision in the other case. In these two cases surgical intervention in the described fashion along with systemic steroids and antibiotic therapy represented a successful therapeutical approach.