TRANSIENT POSITIONING OF A SILICONE-T TUBE IN FRONTAL-SINUS SURGERY

We applied transient positioning of a silicone T tube in 18 patients w ith frontal sinus cysts. Inflammation in the nasal cavity usually subs ided within 6 months of surgery, whereas the frontal sinus showed path ologic changes in more than half of the patients even 6 months after s urgery. After removal of the tube, the nasofrontal passage remained op en in 16 patients who obtained good aeration with an intact mucosal li ning in the frontal sinus, but it eventually closed in the remaining 2 patients who failed to obtain good aeration. This finding suggests th at persistent inflammation in the frontal sinus encourages the closure of the nasofrontal passage and that transient positioning of a silico ne T tube is successful if it is removed after subsidence of inflammat ion in the sinonasal tract.