title: Sinus mucoceles: is marsupialization enough?
abstract: Traditional teaching in the United States has emphasized the need for complete removal of sinus mucoceles to achieve a cure. In Europe, however, many rhinologic surgeons have been treating sinus mucoceles by draining and marsupializing them. We present our experience with the treatment of 16 patients with sinus mucoceles. This series includes nine frontal, two ethmoid, two sphenoid, one sphenoethmoid, and two maxillary sinus mucoceles. All patients were treated transnasally under telescopic control. All mucoceles were marsupialized, and 11 were stented. Intraoperative transillumination as well as intraoperative lateral x rays (for sphenoethmoid lesions) and anteroposterior x rays (for frontal mucoceles) were used to ensure complete marsupialization of the lesion and to confirm proper placement of the stent. There were no complications associated with the procedure. Follow-up periods ranged from 8 to 62 months (median, 32 months). No evidence of recurrent mucocele has been seen in any of the patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn, 11201, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Har-El
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Balwally
authors.forename: F E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Lucente
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009078:Mucocele / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D010254:Paranasal Sinus Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed