Management of dural lesions occurring during endonasal sinus surgery.
BACKGROUND
Dural lesions incurred during endonasal sinus surgery must be repaired surgically because of the risk of potentially fatal late meningitis.


METHODS
Retrospective survey.


METHODS
Ear, nose, and throat department of a university teaching hospital.


METHODS
Consecutive sample of 47 patients who had undergone duraplasty for repair of a dural lesion that occurred as a complication of endonasal sinus surgery. Forty-two patients were interviewed after an average postoperative period of more than 5 years.


METHODS
Endonasal duraplasty, external duraplasty (fronto-orbital or transfrontal extradural approach) by underlay or onlay technique.


METHODS
Fluorescein test (intrathecal administration of fluorescein sodium and subsequent nasal endoscopy), subjective complaints, history of meningitis, cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea, or hyposmia.


RESULTS
There were 44 endonasal and 3 external duraplasties (2 by the fronto-orbital and 1 by the transfrontal extradural approach); the underlay technique was used in 25 and the onlay technique in 22. The fluorescein test, performed in 43% (20/47) of the patients was negative in all cases. Twenty-six percent of the patients had had 1 or more episodes of bacterial sinusitis without meningitis. Duraplasty was clinically intact in 100%. Postoperative olfactory disturbances were reported in 17%.


CONCLUSIONS
Duraplasty can be performed satisfactorily by the endonasal route, thus avoiding the disadvantages of the fronto-orbital approach (visible scar, risk of damage to the supraorbital nerve, and removal of bone from the floor of the frontal sinus with a tendency to stenosis of the nasofrontal duct and subsequent mucocele). Allogeneic connective tissue in combination with fibrin glue has proved suitable as a graft material.
Weber
R
R
Department of Ear, Nose, and Throat Diseases, Head, Neck, and Facial Plastic Surgery, Communication Disorders, Hospital Fulda, Germany.
Keerl
R
R
Draf
W
W
Schick
B
B
Mosler
P
P
Saha
A
A
D002559:Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D004388:Dura Mater / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005206:Fascia Lata / Q000637:transplantation; D015718:Fibrin Tissue Adhesive / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007049:Iatrogenic Disease; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D010256:Paranasal Sinuses / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D015718:Fibrin Tissue Adhesive