title: Isolated sphenoid sinus pathologies--the problem of delayed diagnosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Isolated sphenoid sinus pathologies are relatively rare. In the majority of cases, symptoms do not arise in the early stages of the disease or are non-specific, therefore making diagnosis difficult. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic process and the reasons for development of complications in patients with isolated sphenoid sinus pathology.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical data and observation charts of 32 patients were investigated to determine how long the main symptoms of sphenoid pathology had been present before the patients were referred for medical treatment, and the time that elapsed from the first ambulatory medical assessment to the initial diagnosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complaints and symptoms of sphenoid sinus pathology had been present for 10.2 months before the diagnosis was established. Although the duration of complaints in "ORL" (diagnosed by otorhinolaryngologist) and "non-ORL" (diagnosed by other specialists) group of patients was similar (10.8 and 9.5 months on average, respectively), unexpectedly, in the "non-ORL" group of patients, the time necessary for making the initial diagnosis was actually shorter than in the "ORL" group (1.8 vs 4.1 months). At the time of hospital admission, endoscopic examination revealed no abnormalities in 31.2% of patients. In 28.1% of patients the pathological process in the sphenoid sinus was diagnosed only after the onset of complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The occult character of the disease and the lack of severe and specific symptoms, rather than the delay in getting extensive diagnostic tests, are responsible for the delayed diagnosis and treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland. sieska@interia.pl
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sieskiewicz
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lyson
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Olszewska
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chlabicz
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Buonamassa
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rogowski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010254:Paranasal Sinus Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010255:Paranasal Sinus Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013101:Sphenoid Sinus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult