Repetitive Sinus-Related Symptoms May Accelerate the Progression of Chronic Maxillary Atelectasis

Chronic maxillary atelectasis (CMA) is characterized by a progressive decrease in maxillary sinus volume. The factors that promote the stage progression of CMA remain poorly understood. Here, we describe the time course of anatomical changes in a 40-year-old woman with stage II CMA that progressed to stage III disease. She did not show stage progression until she started to develop repetitive sinus-related symptoms. The stage progression was characterized by ocular symptoms. The repetitive inflammatory episodes may have increased the negative pressure in the affected sinus and weakened the bone walls, thereby promoting stage progression. Thus, a history of repetitive sinus-related symptoms may be a risk factor for stage progression in CMA.