Nasoseptal cyst after septorhinoplasty: late and unusual but preventable compliation.

Nasoseptal cyst after septorhinoplasty: late and unusual but preventable complication. INTRODUCTION: Formation if a slowly growing cyst following septorhinoplasty is a rare but serious complication. Mucous cyst is more common than foreign body inclusion cyst. Typically, these cysts present as a solitary lesion that develops in the subcutaneous pace over the nasal bone along the line of nasal osteotomy several months or years after initial surgery. Rarely, the cyst onnects with the nasal septum. Surgery is the treatment of choice and consists of either complete excision of the cyst apsule or marsupialization of the cyst. ase report: A nasoseptal mucous cyst developed in a 46-year-old woman 10 years after septorhinoplasty. We successfully narsupialized the cyst with an endonasal endoscopic approach. onclusion:. Cysts can be removed by either complete resection of the cyst capsule or marsupialization via endonasal endoscopy. To prevent cyst formation, initial surgery must be conducted nontraumatically and tissue remnants cleared to prevent dispersion into subcutaneous spaces.

Middle turbinate primary mucocele in a child masquerading as a nasal tumour.

Middle turbinate primary mucocele in a child masquerading as a nasal tumour. INTRODUCTION: Nasal obstruction in children is a very common complaint in daily ENT consultations. The common cold, rhinosinusitis, allergic rhinitis, hypertrophy and inflammation of the adenoid pad are very common causes of nasal obstruction, but there are numerous other causes for which the clinician must be aware. METHODOLOGY: The authors report a very unusual case of a primary mucocele of the middle turbinate of a 7-year-old girl masquerading as a nasal tumour. RESULTS: The mucocele was successfully marsupialized surgically using an endonasal endoscopic approach. The authors report the case, imaging, and review the pertinent literature. CONCLUSION: Clinicians must be aware of less common aetiologies of nasal obstruction in order to orientate the diagnostic work-up and to propose adequate management.

Rupatadine relieves allergic rhinitis: a prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis has reached epidemic levels for years in Belgium and substantially impacts the quality of life of patients. Observational, non-interventional studies can provide valuable data, supplementing findings from double-blind trials, on the true value of a drug therapy in daily practice. Rupatadine is a new, second-generation, selective oral H1-antihistamine. The primary objective of.this study was to evaluate the evolution of quality of life in patients treated with rupatadine in clinical practice. The impact of rupatadine on the severity of allergic rhinitis symptoms, the subject's evaluation of the treatment, and the safety of rupatadine were also evaluated. METHODS: This prospective, non-interventional, observational, multicenter study included 2,838 adults aged over 18 years. The diagnosis of moderate to severe allergic rhinitis was confirmed. Patients were assessed with validated scales at baseline and after 6 weeks of treatment with rupatadine (10 mg, once daily). RESULTS: All outcome parameters improved significantly: mini-rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire (mini- RQLQ, p < 0.001), total 5-symptom score (T5SS) severity (p < 0.001), visual analog scale (VAS) of symptom severity (p < 0.001), and the allergic rhinitis and its impact on asthma (ARIA) severity classification (p < 0.001). Compliance was very good in 72.2% of patients, and only a few minor adverse effects were reported. The therapeutic responses, evaluated by the patients, were complete relief in 21% and strong relief in 62%. CONCLUSION: This study, which included a wide cohort of allergic-rhinitis patients, confirmed the clinical benefit of rupatadine when prescribed in clinical practice, even for the most severe symptoms, including nasal congestion.

Recruitment and activation of circulating neutrophils after sinus surgery.

OBJECTIVE: After failure of pharmacological treatment, sinus surgery is the recommended alternative treatment for chronic sinusitis with or without nasal polyps. During post-operative healing, adequate local neutrophil activation plays an important role in the repair process. This pilot study aimed to systematically explore the participation of circulating neutrophils in early-phase wound repair of the nasal and paranasal mucosa after sinus surgery, with a special focus on neutrophil recruitment and activation patterns. METHODOLOGY: We conducted a single-center outcome study of patients undergoing sinus surgery. Whole blood samples were collected from eleven patients before surgery and at post-surgical time points of 1 hour and 1, 7, 14, and 30 days. Hematological analysis was conducted to count circulating neutrophils and evaluate their overall activation status. Using flow cytometry, neutrophil expression of membrane CD11b, CD11c, and CD15 was also measured, and oxidative burst analysis was performed. RESULTS: After sinus surgery, neutrophilia increased by 1 hour after surgery, reached a maximum at Day 1, and showed a gradual return toward baseline by Day 30. The oxidative burst initially decreased during the first hours after surgery, increased at Day 14, and returned toward normal by Day 30. Lewis X factor and the expression of CD11b and CD11c exhibited a bimodal change over time, in an inverted phase compared to the oxidative reaction. CONCLUSIONS: Circulating neutrophils are involved in the first phase of wound healing after sinus surgery as indicated by increased abundance, early membrane changes, and the modulation of their oxidative capacities.

Sphenoid sinus fungall ball: a retrospective study over a 10- year period.

A fungal ball consists of a dense conglomerate of fungal hyphae growing at the surface of the sinus mucosa without tissue infiltration. The maxillary sinus is by far the most commonly involved paranasal sinus cavity followed by the sphenoid sinus. The present study is a retrospective study of 25 consecutive cases treated during the last 10 years in the two hospitals be- longing to the Catholic University of Louvain (CHU Mont-Godinne and UCL Saint Luc). We report the symptomatology, the imaging and discuss the different surgical managements. We conclude that the clinician must have a high index of suspicion when dealing with a unilateral rhinosinusitis persisting despite a maximal and well conducted medical treatment. This is particularly so in elderly women when associated with facial pain and post nasal drip, particularly when the computed tomography shows an unilateral opacity of the sphenoid sinus with or without a sclerosis or an erosion of the bony walls, a polyp in the sphenoethmoidal recess or a hyperdensity mimicking a foreign body. An endonasal endoscopic sphenoidotomy is the treatment of choice in most cases, allowing good ventilation of the sinus and radical removal of all the fungal concretion. A biopsy of the sinus mucosa adjacent to fungal elements is of upmost important to confirm the non- invasiveness of the fungi within the tissue. Antifungal medication is not required in uncomplicated forms. All host factors producing some degree of immunosuppression must be corrected when present and must alert the clinician to rule out any forms of invasive disease.

Chemosensory function assessed with psychophysical testing and event-related potentials in patients with atrophic rhinitis.

Atrophic rhinitis (AR) is a chronic inflammation of the nose characterized by an atrophy of the nasal mucosa. This is typically associated with an impaired sense of smell and a subjective sensation of poor nasal breathing. The aim of this study is to assess chemosensory function in patients suffering from AR using psychophysical testings and event-related potentials (ERP) responses. A cohort of nine patients was extensively studied. Eight out of nine had secondary AR sequela of a bilateral total inferior turbinectomy whereas one patient had a primary AR. All the patients had a clinical evaluation using Sniffin' Sticks test and a retro-olfaction test and an electrophysiological evaluation based upon ERPs obtained after both olfactory and trigeminal stimuli. All the patients complained of a poor nasal breathing and presented a distortion of the chemosensory function. Actually, the orthonasal psychophysical testing showed that four patients out of nine had anosmia, three out of nine had hyposmia and two out of nine were normosmic. All the patients demonstrated retro-olfaction scores inferior to the normal values. The chemosensory ERP showed that seven patients had no olfactory response whereas six had no trigeminal response. Four patients had neither olfactory nor trigeminal ERP response. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that most patients with AR secondary to a total bilateral inferior turbinectomy have a reduction of the chemosensory function measured objectively by psychophysical testings and ERP [corrected].

A Pott's puffy tumour as a late complication of a frontal sinus reconstruction: case report and literature review.

A Pott's Puffy Tumour (PPT) is a rare clinical entity, which, traditionally has been described as an acute abscess with periosteitis secondary to osteomyelitis of the external table of the frontal bone of the skull, complicating an acute frontal sinusitis. The aim of this article is to present a case of progressively evolving PPT, which emerged during the course of a common rhinitis, in a patient who, thirty years previously, had undergone a reconstruction of the frontal sinus involving osteosynthesis. The patient was treated with antibiotic therapy coupled with external access surgery using the Cairn Unterberger approach. This allowed the drainage of pus, the removal of infected osteosynthetic material and a complete debridement of osteomyelitic bone from the affected area. Frontal sinus obliteration was undertaken using methyl methacrylate, preferable in this case to hydroxyapatite, due to the direct communication with the neighbouring sinus cavities and the presence of defective bone in the superior orbit. A review of literature available on Medline up to January 2008 reveals that this is the third published case of PPT complicating a frontal reconstruction.

Endonasal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy for a primary dacryocystocele in an adult.

A dacryocystocele refers to a sterile cystic dilatation of the lacrimal sac resulting from a complete obstruction of the lacrimal pathway above and below the lacrimal sac. In most cases, it is a congenital disorder that typically occurs in neonates. It is characterized by a bluish cystic swelling just below the medial canthus accompanied by epiphora. In some cases, there is also an intranasal expansion beneath the inferior turbinate. When this expansion is large and bilateral, it can lead to respiratory distress in neonates since they are obligate nasal breathers. Although congenital dacryocystoceles may resolve with conservative measures, many become infected and require systemic antibiotic treatment, and most require early surgical intervention. Herein, the authors report a rare case of dacryocystocele in an adult that was successfully managed with an endonasal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy. The pre-operative images and the intra-operative findings are shown, and the available literature is reviewed.

Congenital dacryocystocele: five clinical cases.

Congenital dacryocystocele (CDC) is recognised as a cause of nasal airway obstruction or respiratory distress in newborns. CDC is caused by the distal obstruction of the lachrymal duct and presents as a cystic formation in the inferior meatus. We discuss five cases of dacryocystocele, together with surgical management and outcome. Endoscopic endonasal marsupialisation and appropriate postoperative care resulted in definitive recovery for all patients. In newborns or infants with nasal obstruction, CDC should be considered in the differential diagnosis, and prompt endoscopic endonasal marsupialisation is mandatory.

Endonasal endoscopic resection of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma.

Juvenile angiofibroma (JNA) is a rare benign but locally aggressive tumour of the nasopharynx that primarily occurs in adolescent males. We report a series of 6 consecutive cases operated by exclusive endoscopic approach between from March 1996 and June 2003. All were male. The mean age was 17.2 years old (range: 11-23 years). The tumour involved the nasopharynx in all the cases (6/6), the sphenoid sinus (3/6) and the medial part of the pterygopalatine fossa (4/6). According to Radkowski's classification (Table 1), one patient was stage Ia, one was stage Ib and four patients were stage IIb. The mean duration of the surgery was 2 hours. The mean intraoperative blood loss was 575 ml despite a preoperative hyperselective embolization. The mean follow-up after the first operation was 67 months. All patients but one were free of disease. One patient had a recurrence in the nasopharynx and sphenoid sinuses requiring a successful revision procedure 3 years after the primary surgery. Another patient presented with a 5 mm non-symptomatic nodule in the pterygopalatine fossa, regressing on MRI during the 4 years following the surgery. In conclusion, endoscopic resection of JNA is a difficult but effective operation in experienced hands. Based upon the recent international literature, endonasal surgery combined with a preoperative embolization of the arterial supply is indicated for small and middle size JNAs but also for large tumours extended to the pterygopalatine fossa and medial aspect of the infratemporal fossa. Minimal intracranial extension is not an absolute contraindication if there is no clinical or radiological involvement of the cavernous sinus. A tridimentional guiding system can be of some help in large tumours.

The role of nasal cavity disinfection in the bacteriology of chronic sinusitis.

OBJECTIVES: Several factors may influence the results of bacteriological studies in chronic rhinosinusitis. We investigated the potential role of nasal cavity disinfection in the bacteriology of the bulla ethmoidalis in patients suffering from chronic sinusitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Bacteriology of the bulla ethmoidalis was studied in 176 consecutive adult patients presenting a chronic sinusitis refractory to standard medical treatment who underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery. Two different techniques were used: (A) a technique with nasal vestibule and facial disinfection with chlorhexedin (N = 89 patients and 165 samples) vs. (B) a technique with facial, nasal vestibule and nasal cavity disinfection with a povidone-iodine solution followed by a cleansing of the nasal cavity (N = 87 patients and 166 samples). RESULTS: Culture rate was 89.6% (183 bacterial isolates) for technique (A) vs 76.5% (164 bacterial isolates) for technique (B) (p < 0.001). Major bacteria encountered in the (A) group and in the (B) group were respectively: Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus: 77 vs 40 isolates (p < 0.001); Coagulase positive Staphylococcus: 44 vs 30 isolates (p = 0.061); Streptococcus pneumoniae: 4 vs 5 isolates; Others: Streptococcus sp.: 12 vs 16 isolates; Haemophilus influenzae: 8 vs 6 isolates; Enterobacteriacea: 33 vs 53 isolates (p = 0.013) and others Gram Negative Bacilli: 3 vs 7 isolates. CONCLUSIONS: The standard (A) technique to study the bacteriology of the bulla ethmoidalis in patients with chronic sinusitis yielded a higher percentage of positive culture and of bacterial isolates than a more advanced (B) technique. This is mainly due to the higher percentage of contaminant bacteria such as Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus recovered with the standard technique. Enterobacteriacea and others Gram Negative Bacilli were more often encountered into the bulla ethmoidalis with the technique where disinfection of the nasal cavity was performed.

Fungus-like sinusitis.

Fungus-like sinusitis is also called eosinophilic mucin rhinosinusitis (EMRS). This terminology is purely descriptive and refers to a rhinosinusitis, whose clinical presentation and imaging are similar to those of a noninvasive fungal sinusitis but in which fungus could not be demonstrated pathologically using the conventional silver staining technique or on culture. The authors report 2 clinical cases and recall the diagnostic criteria for the different forms of fungal sinusitis in immunocompetent patients.

Metastasis of a small cell carcinoma from undetected origin to the pituitary gland--the otolaryngologist's view.

Tumour metastasis to the anterior pituitary-hypothalamic area is rare. We present a patient who had severe headache, bitemporal quadrant hemianopsia and an expanding mass in the sella turcica as revealed by MRI. Partial resection via a transsphenoidal approach was performed and postoperative radiation therapy was initiated. Immunohistochemical investigation identified the tumour as a metastatic small cell carcinoma whose primary site remained undetected for more than 12 months despite repeated oncological evaluations. We reviewed the literature on metastatic disease of the pituitary gland.

Bacteriology of chronic sinusitis: the bulla ethmoidalis content.

OBJECTIVE: To study the microbiology of the bulla ethmoidalis of patients who suffered from chronic sinusitis. DESIGN: A prospective study performed at the Saint-Luc universitary clinic (University of Louvain) from June 1999 to December 2000. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seventy seven patients underwent functional endoscopic endonasal surgery during this period for chronic sinusitis refractory to standard medical treatment. All the patients presented symptoms for more than 3 months. After Povidone-Iodine disinfection, samples were taken into the bulla ethmoidalis after its opening with an endoscopic endonasal control. Samples were transferred to the microbiology laboratory using a thioglycolate medium for aerobic and anaerobic cultures. RESULTS: One hundred forty eight samples were studied. Culture rate was 73.6%. Thirty nine samples remained sterile. In the 109 culture positive specimens, 135 bacterial isolates were recovered. The main results are: Staphylococcus coagulase negative: 31, Staphylococcus aureus: 22, Streptococcus sp: 20, other Gram positive Cocci: 5, Haemophilus influenzae: 4, non-fermentative Gram negative bacilli: 6, Enterobacteriaceae: 45, anaerobic bacteria: 2. CONCLUSION: Enterobacteriaceae or enteric gram negative bacilli were frequently encountered in the bulla ethmoidalis of patients suffering from chronic sinusitis. This report suggests that endoscopically guided culture obtained from the ethmoid sinus may accurate our understanding of the microbiology of chronic ethmoidal sinusitis and underline the importance of Enterobacteriaceae in this disease.

Endoscopic endonasal medial maxillectomy: case series.

INTRODUCTION: A medial maxillectomy (MM) consists of a complete resection of the medial wall of the maxillary sinus. Traditionally the surgery is performed via an open approach. With more familiarity and expertise in endoscopic sinus surgery the endonasal approach is feasible. OBJECTIVE: To expose the surgical technique and report the results of endonasal endoscopic MM in a series of 6 consecutive patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between August 2006 and October 2009, 6 patients were operated with this procedure. All were men. The mean age was 62-year-old (range: 43-83). In 5 cases, the surgery was performed for inverted papillomas confined to the maxillary sinus. In one case it was a primary surgery whereas it was a revision surgery for the others. The sixth patient was operated for a solitary extramedullary plasmocytoma inserted on the intersinonasal wall persistent after an external radiation therapy. RESULTS: All the patients are free of disease at the time of writing with a mean follow-up of 18,2 months (range: 9-38). This has been confirmed by a nasal endoscopy and CT scans. There were no major per or postoperative complications. Patients suffered from crusting for at least 6 months postoperatively necessitating daily nasal douches. One patient is still complaining of intermittent epiphora when he is exposed to wind. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic MM can be successfully performed for the resection of expanding processes involving the maxillary sinus and/or the intersinonasal wall. Compared to open approaches, it seems to be as effective with less postoperative morbidity. An important technical point is to do the anterior osteotomy in front of the nasolacrimal duct in order to expose the prelacrimal recess that is typically an area for possible recurrence. Exact determination of the tumor attachment during the surgery is another key point for success.

Pediatric endonasal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy.

Dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) in children is indicated in cases of common congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (CNLDO) unresponsive to medical therapy, probing or intubation. The purpose of this manuscript is to evaluate the effectiveness of endonasal endoscopic pediatric DCR. The authors present a series of eight children (seven boys and one girl) who underwent a pediatric endonasal DCR between September 2007 and December 2008. The mean age was: 4.3 years (range: 8 months to 9 years old). Three children had a craniofacial abnormality. There were ten primary DCRs and one revision DCR. In nine cases, the indication was a pure primary low mechanical obstruction persistent after one or more probings. In the 10th case there was also a stenosis of the inferior canaliculus diagnosed during the DCR. The revision DCR was indicated because of the closure of the stoma created 3 years ago. A silicone intubation was put in place only in two cases: in case of a stenosis of the inferior canaliculus (3 months) and the other in case of revision DCR (1 month). The follow-up for primary DCRs was 10.5 months (range: 6-15) and for revision surgery 6 months (after the retrieve of the stent). In primary DCRs, there was a complete resolution of symptoms in nine out of 10 cases. The 10th case experienced a transient slight epiphora during a viral rhinitis. In case of revision DCR, the child was free of symptoms. In conclusion pediatric DCR is a very effective and safe procedure for the treatment of a low mechanical obstruction of the lacrimal pathway in children unresponsive to previous probings. Stenosis of the inferior canaliculus can give some slight intermittent epiphora despite a wide and patent stoma. Moreover craniofacial abnormalities are more common in children than in adults undergoing a DCR.

Effect of nasal valve surgery by open-septorhinoplasty and lateral cartilage grafts (spreader grafts) on snoring among a population of single snorers. Preliminary report.

Snoring is traditionally considered more of a social nuisance than disease. The observation that nasal obstruction may modify breathing during sleep and daytime behavior and our clinical observations suggesting that some single snorer patients who had undergone surgery of the nasal valve for nasal obstruction complaints had presented a decrease in their snoring, led us to make a retrospective study on twenty nine patients. Eight of them were simple snorers. They underwent a surgery of the nasal valve under general anesthesia through an open septorhinoplasty during which lateral graft cartilages (modified spreader grafts) were set in place between septolateral cartilage and the anterior and superior edge of the nasal septum. Active anterior rhinomanometry (AAR), posterior active rhinomanometry (PAR) and a self-assessment of the nasal patency by the patient himself on a visual analog scale (VAS) were compared before and one year after surgery. Snoring was assessed by both bed partners according to a four step scale (none, slight, moderate and severe). No significant differences were found between AAR or between PAR. But significant differences were measured with VAS (for the left (p < 0.0001) and the right sides (p < 0.001). All patients but one demonstrated substantially decreased snoring. As there is no clear cut evidence of changes in nasal resistances measured by rhinomanometry, we suggest that the observed decrease in snoring may be induced by changes in the direction of the nasal airflow against the nasal mucosa which may produce by a reflex between mecanoreceptors of the nasal mucosa and muscles of the pharynx, an increased tonus of the muscles of the pharynx.

Computer assisted surgery and endoscopic endonasal approach in 32 procedures.

UNLABELLED: Computer aided surgery (CAS) is now routinely introduced in the ENT surgical field especially in endoscopic endonasal surgery. OBJECTIVE: Using a frameless computer aided surgery for endoscopic endonasal approach (SurgiGATE ORL TM), we tried to evaluate the practical use of such a system, to calculate supplementary installation time of the procedure, to determine the number of matching attempt (referencing) before starting optonavigation and to determine its clinical accuracy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty two patients underwent endoscopic endonasal surgery with the help of CAS; 13 revision cases (2 nasal polyposis, 7 paranasal sinus mucoceles, 4 frontal recess stenosis) and 19 primary cases (16 inflammatory diseases, 3 benign tumor removal). Paired points matching was used as referencing before optonavigation. Clinical accuracy of CAS was calculated at two confidence points during optonavigation and measured in multiples of the pixel size on CT Scan. RESULTS: Number of matching attempts before starting optonavigation was; mean 1.8 (1-4). Supplementary installation time of the system was; mean 15 minutes (10-40). Clinical accuracy at two confidence points was always between 0.5 mm and 2 mm. (6 < 0.5 mm, 16 < 1 mm, 10 < 2 mm). There was no major complication during surgery neither no side effect due to the use of the CAS except for one case who presented a slight tongue edema due to a wrong position of the dynamic reference base (maxillary splint) during the procedure. CONCLUSIONS: CAS and optonavigation using the surgiGATE ORL TM is safe and efficient in endoscopic endonasal surgery. The accuracy of the system is sufficient and its use appropriate for primary either revision rhinologic procedures.

Extracranial sinonasal tract meningioma: a case report.

Extracranial meningioma is an unusual tumor, mainly found in the head and neck area. Before surgical removal and histopathological examination, this diagnosis is rarely considered. We report a case of an extracranial meningioma located in the frontal sinuses of a 65-year-old-woman. Symptomatology included trouble of vision due to bilateral exophtalmos and mild headaches. Bilateral exophtalmos was secondary to the development of huge frontal mucoceles. These mucoceles grew slowly due to the frontal recesses blockage by the extracranial meningioma. External approach was performed with removal of the mucocele walls and of the extracranial meningioma itself. The frontal recesses were blocked with synthetic cement, and orbital roofs were reconstructed with a polydioxanon-sheet (PDS). Frontal sinuses were excluded and filled with bone bank grafts. A review of the literature on extracranial meningioma and a discussion about the surgical management of this case are proposed in this paper.