TRANSFRONTAL ENDOSCOPIC MANAGEMENT OF FRONTAL RECESS DISEASE

The frontal sinus outflow tract can be a difficult area from which to adequately and safely remove bony and/or disease obstructions. A combi ned endoscopic transfrontal trephination and intranasal endoscopic app roach allows a safe and more confident identification and removal of o bstructions from the frontal sinus outflow tract. A catheter is placed from the frontal sinus into the nose and left in place for 4-6 weeks before being removed intranasally. Complications have been few and eas ily treated and the results in nine patients have been good, with pati ents being asymptomatic and requiring no antibiotics. This technique a llows the safe and accurate identification of structures in. a potenti ally anatomically difficult area and facilitates removal of bone and d isease obstructions.