MUCOCILIARY FUNCTION OF THE MAXILLARY SINUSES AFTER RESTORING VENTILATION - A RADIOISOTOPIC STUDY OF THE MAXILLARY SINUS

Ostium patency and sinus ventilation play a key role in the normal fun ction of the sinuses and the pathogenesis of sinusitis. Experience wit h endoscopic treatment modalities has indicated that even severe mucos al disease in the maxillary and frontal sinuses will heal after eradic ation of an infectious focus in the ethmoid and maintaining ventilatio n and drainage of sinuses. The aim of this study was to use scintigrap hic methods to evaluate possible differences in mucociliary function o f chronically diseased maxillary sinuses after establishment of ventil ation. Fourteen patients (22 maxillary sinuses) and 3 controls (6 maxi llary sinuses) were evaluated after functional endoscopic sinus surger y. The drainage ratios of sinuses at 20 min were calculated at the 3rd postoperative day and again at 3 weeks. When the early and late posto perative drainage ratios were compared it was found that mucociliary f unction returned to normal after 3 weeks in sinuses with cysts but wit hout hyperplastic mucosal degeneration. While the mucociliary function and drainage improved significantly in sinuses with hyperplastic muco sa, depending on the severity and extension of the pathology present, it was still less than levels found in normal sinuses at 3 weeks.