Isolated unilateral upper alveolar numbness in silent sinus syndrome.
We present a case of a 59-year-old man with left upper alveolar numbness of 2 years' duration in the absence of sinonasal symptoms. On physical examination, he demonstrated mild left facial asymmetry and diminished sensation of his left upper alveolus from the left second upper incisor to first canine. CT imaging revealed chronic sinusitis changes of the left maxillary sinus, with reduced volume and depressed anterior wall. The patient underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery to re-establish maxillary sinus ventilation. He was noted to have some improvement of his upper alveolar paraesthesia postoperatively. Silent sinus syndrome is part of the spectrum of chronic maxillary atelectasis. In the presented case, chronic osteitic bony sclerosis, as opposed to osteopenic change of the maxillary sinus, was seen. We postulate that bony encasement of the anterior superior alveolar nerve resulted in chronic nerve compression and the patient's unusual symptom of upper alveolar paraesthesia.
Otorhinolaryngology, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, Singapore hungtuan@gmail.com.
Hung Tuan
HT
Lau
Otorhinolaryngology, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
Keng Hua
KH
Lim
D002908:Chronic Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods; D015841:Enophthalmos / Q000209:etiology; D005146:Facial Asymmetry / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008442:Maxillary Nerve / Q000293:injuries; D008443:Maxillary Sinus / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D015523:Maxillary Sinusitis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010292:Paresthesia; D013577:Syndrome; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Ear, nose and throat/otolaryngology; Otolaryngology/ENT; Surgery