title: Fatty tissue within the maxillary sinus: a rare finding.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We report a rare case of fatty tissue within the maxillary sinus in a 21-year-old woman, with a history of several previous punctures of the maxillary sinus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical data of the patient was analysed retrospectively. The patient presented with symptoms of left-sided chronic maxillary sinusitis and had undergone several punctures of the left maxillary sinus 18 months earlier. Subsequent to one of the procedures an acute pain in the left orbit lasting a couple of days was noted. Left endoscopic transnasal antrotomy was performed. The maxillary sinus was filled with polypous, chronically inflamed mucous membrane. Upon its removal, the maxillary roof was identified as drawn downwards and covered with normal mucous membrane. Upon dissection of the membrane, adipose tissue filling the zygomatic recess of the sinus was identified and subsequently removed. The maxillary roof was unchanged. Histopathologic examination confirmed the material to be adipose tissue. No short or long term sequelae occurred.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adipose tissue can be found in the maxillary sinus most commonly when penetrating from surrounding locations. It is our hypothesis that in the reported patient it penetrated from the orbit to the maxillary sinus following puncture. It seems that a hole in the maxillary sinus roof, about 1 mm in diameter, caused by the needle, may have been a portal of entry for the adipose tissue into the maxillary sinus. The discussed case suggests particular care be taken in performing puncture of the maxillary sinus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Collegium Medicum, Jagiellonian University, 2 Sniadeckich St,, 31-501 Kraków, Poland. no@address.no
authors.forename: Paweł
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Strek
authors.forename: Olaf
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Zagólski
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Składzień
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008443:Maxillary Sinus; D010254:Paranasal Sinus Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D013396:Suction / Q000379:methods; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult