[Complicated sinusitis and nasal endoscopic surgery].
BACKGROUND
Complicated sinusitis can result in a significant morbidity if not appropriately managed. Traditionally, surgical cases were treated by external approaches. Now a days, the introduction of endoscopic sinus surgery allows such complications to be endoscopically approached.


OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to evaluate our results in complicated sinusitis treated by endoscopic sinus surgery.


METHODS
The study reviewed 18 patients with evidence of sinusitis complications treated with endoscopic sinus surgery between 1993 and March 2000. There were 12 orbital and 6 intracraneal complications. Six patients did need an additional surgical approach.


RESULTS
Seventeen patients (94%) had a relief of their symptoms. One patient with a superior orbital fisura syndrome died a month later due to vascular and respiratory complications. Another patient with fronto-lateral sinusitis required frontal osteoplasty for persistent disease. Two patients had long-term neurological sequelae (seizure). None had ocular sequelae. There were no complications due to the surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
The endoscopic sinus surgery is a safe procedure with a high success rate in the treatment of complicated sinusitis. At present, open approaches to the sinuses are rarely indicated.
Llorente Pendás
J L
JL
Hospital Central Univesitario de Asturias, Oviedo, Asturias. llorentependas@telefonica.net
del Campo
A
A
Pérez Vázquez
P
P
López Llames
A
A
Rodríguez Prado
N
N
Sequeiros
G
G
Suárez
C
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009666:Nose; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000150:complications*