Diagnosis and treatment of isolated sphenoid sinus disease: a review of 109 cases.

CONCLUSION

Endoscopic transethmoidal sphenoidotomy performed mainly in the early stages of the pathology and by expert hands is [WX1]very effective in treating isolated sphenoid sinus disease.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the causes of isolated sphenoid sinus disease identified in 109 patients and report on the most appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic patterns for an earlier diagnosis and a successful treatment of the disease.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

A total of 109 subjects with various isolated sphenoid pathologies were first examined by general objective examination, nasal sinus endoscopy, CT scan of paranasal sinuses, and in some cases with MRI. Then, they underwent medical and/or surgical treatment.

RESULTS

Nineteen patients (17.43%) had isolated sphenoiditis, 6 (5.5%) fungal sinusitis, 30 (27.52%) mucocele, 6 (5.5%) fibrous dysplasia, 6 (5.5%) meningoencephalocele, 5 (4.58%) inverted papilloma, 4 (3.66%) epidermoid carcinoma, 10 (9.17%) liquor fistula, 1 (0.9%) rhabdomyosarcoma, 1 (0.9%) chordoma, and 1 (0.9%) had carotid pseudoaneurysm. Evidence of definitive diagnosis by endoscopy was obtained in less than half of the cases. CT scan, however, sometimes in combination with MRI, determined the pathology in all the cases. A follow-up of at least 4 years post-surgery showed good results in all the patients who underwent endoscopic transethmoidal sphenoidotomy.