Endonasal findings using a fiberoptic telescope in postoperative cases of chronic sinusitis.

It is the purpose of this study to investigate the healing process in chronic sinusitis by means of a fiberoptic telescope. The patients were divided into 3 groups, in which various combinations of operative techniques were used. Group 1:53 patients with moderate chronic sinusitis. In this group endonasal ethmoidectomy and endonasal exposure of the sphenoidal sinus were performed. Group 2:73 patients with moderate or severe sinusitis. In this group a Caldwell-Luc operation was added to the operations which were used in group I. Group 3:8 patients, in which only endonasal ethmoidectomy was performed. In most cases, the maxillary sinus was cured, but in some of the cases the drainage opening was closed at an early stage. The epithelization of the ethmoidal sinus is mostly completed in about one month after the surgical operation. Adhesions between middle turbinate and lateral wall were seen regularly. Hypertrophic scars were observed in the posterior ethmoid, the ethmoidal roof and the lamina papyracea. We classified the healing process into 4 types. All postoperative infections were treated by antibiotics. Adhesions and scar tissue formations were treated endoscopically.