ISOLATED SPHENOID SINUS CHANGES - HISTORY, CT AND ENDOSCOPIC FINDING

This study reviews the records of 21 patients with isolated sphenoid s inus disease who were treated by rigid endoscopic sphenoidotomy at the Nose and Sinus Unit, Department of Otolaryngology of Beilinson Medica l Center, Israel. Diagnosis was made on the basis of history, rigid na sal endoscopy and computed tomography (CT) scan. The most frequent sym ptom was headache; no instances of 'pathognomonic' headache were found . Sphenoidotomy was performed through the area of the natural ostium. The pathological finding was infection in 11 patients, cyst in four pa tients, polyps in three patients, mucocoele in two, and inverted papil loma in one patient. Surgical results were very good. Endoscopic sphen oidotomy proved to be safe, with minimal blood loss, reduced operating time, decreased morbidity, and short post-operative hospitalization.