[Endoscopic management of paranasal sinus mucoceles: experience with 46 patients].

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine changes in the surgical treatment of patients with the diagnosis of paranasal mucoceles managed in a Latin American hospital. We hypothesised that endonasal endoscopic surgeries had emerged as the main treatment option for this disease in the last five years. METHODS A retrospective chart review of all patients who were diagnosed with paranasal sinus mucoceles and treated at the Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Department of our hospital from 2002 to 2010 was performed. Patient demographic data, mucoceles location, symptoms, surgical approach and complications were recorded. RESULTS A total of 46 patients were included (27 males; 19 females). This series include 29 patients (63%) with frontal or frontoethmoidal mucoceles, 14 (30.4%) with maxillary and 3 (6.5%) with sphenoid mucoceles. Ninety-five percent of the patients were treated with intranasal endoscopic surgery. Complications occurred only in 7 cases (15.2%). CONCLUSIONS This study confirms that over the last 9 years significant changes have occurred in the surgical treatment of paranasal mucocele in our hospital, as endoscopic surgeries increased from 34% to over 90% as the first option of treatment for mucoceles.